Tokio Hotel One Shots
by anniearmitage
Summary: Bill Kaulitz, Tom Kaulitz, Georg Listing, and Gustav Schafer. (I apologize in advance if my German isn't good)
1. Fake Concert Tickets

"Come on, Mel! Tokio Hotel's on!" My best friend, Leah called out to me from the living room. I was in the kitchen, making some popcorn for the Pay-per-View concert; Tokio Hotel's in fact.  
Those guys were really good at what they did. Starting out as a popular band when you're really young is amazing, and singing songs in two different languages is also something really amazing. Bill Kaulitz was the lead singer, and the twin brother of Tom Kaulitz. He was so hot when he had his hair in that funky style, but he looked just a little feminine when it was down. His brother's dreadlocks were a little strange, I'll admit, but it didn't take away from the fact that they were awesome.  
"Coming! The stupid popcorn is being idiotisch!" (Idiotic) Yes, we liked to speak in german sometimes. We did spend months learning the language just to understand the original songs and commentaries they made in german. I was obsessed, and I knew it.  
"Wirklich? Saugt Um Sie zu sein," (Really? Sucks to be you.) "Beeilen Sie sich jetzt! Es fängt an!" (Now hurry up! It's starting!)  
"Ja, Ja, kommend!" (Yeah, yeah, coming!) I got to the couch just in time to see the spotlights shine on Bill and then fainter ones on the others. My stomach kind of tightened on me, so I wasn't all that hungry. But Leah was chowing down the popcorn like there was no tomorrow.  
"Dieses Konzert überrascht! Tokio Hotel ist das beste Band im Ganzen verdammt Erde!" Leah shouted as she jumped up and down on the couch, jolting me and spilling the snack all over the couch.  
Translation: (This concert is amazing! Tokio Hotel is the best band on the whole damn earth!"  
"Leah, schauen Sie dem Popcorn zu! Sie verschütten es!" I shouted, trying to make sure that they didn't get crushed into little popcorn crumbs. Leah could be really ignorant and klutzy when she was rocking out to Tokio Hotel. So could I, but I was always too busy keeping the room we were watching t.v in clean.  
Translation: (Leah, watch the popcorn! You're spilling it!) (I know I'm using a lot of german, but I just thought that with the theme of Tokio Hotel, it'd work.)  
"Traurig, Melanie. Es ist nicht mein Fehler, wenn Sie zu beschäftigter Spielen housemaid sind, draußen zu diesen sexy Burschen zu schaukeln! Wissen he verteilt, Sie, dass sie sind, gonna Hinterden Kulissennausweise und Karten zu ein paar Leuten? Sorgen Sie sich, nicht habe ich Sie auch eingetragen. Ich weiß wie viel, das Sie Bill sehen wollen." She said teasingly, as I lowered my face to hide my blush. Bill was one of the sexiest men in a band, but it was just a fan-girl crush, right? I mean, he was a famous rock star, eighteen-years-old, and I was just a plain fifteen-year-old fan. He had millions of people like me fawning after him. I was just another component to the equation.  
Translation: (Sorry, Melanie. It's not my fault if you're too busy playing housemaid to rock out to these sexy guys! Hey, do you know they're gonna be giving out backstage passes and tickets to a couple of people? Don't worry, I entered you, too. I know how much you want to see Bill.)  
"Ja, deshalb was? Es ist, nicht wie wenn ich gewinne, wird er irgendetwas von mir denken." (Yeah, so what? It's not like if I win, he'll think anything of me.)  
"Aah! Sie haben gewonnen, haben Sie gewonnen, haben Sie gewonnen! Ach, mein Gott!" (Aah! You won, you won, you won! Oh, my god!)  
She was serious, I had won. They had a list going along the bottom of the screen. Melanie Hall, my name was one of the few names. (Made up the last name.) She must have put my name in way at the beginning of the contest. But Leah Fisher wasn't one of the names. She wasn't going with me.  
"Aber Sie haben nicht gewonnen." (But you didn't win.) I said to Leah, whose face was clearly upset. She would always try to remain under control, but sometimes she just couldn't. It was depressing to know my best friend wouldn't be coming with me, but I was secretly screaming with joy on the inside. I was gonna see Bill Kaulitz, I was gonna get autographs and pictures! Maybe even shake his hand!  
"You'll have to get me a picture or something. Autograph, too."  
"Yeah, I know. Just another piece to add to your monstrous collection."  
"Yep!" It wasn't going to be the same as if she was there with me, but it was sure going to be one of the best nights of my life.

* * *

The place where the concert would be held was jam-packed; people trying to get in, and people scurrying to get souvenirs before they were sold out. I was in way too much shock that I was actually here to even think about buying anything or rushing to get tickets. I had my backstage pass around my neck, and my ticket safely tucked away in my pocket. No, I was merely waiting for them to allow people backstage.  
I could remember being thirteen and hearing about some new band that was causing a wide sensation in America, a band all the way from Germany. Leah had come running over with her iPod in her hand, shoving it into my face, screaming for me to listen to the song. It was "Ready, Set, Go!" in German, and though I couldn't understand most of it, I loved it instantly. After that, we were hooked. Buying their American versions of songs, CDs, t-shirts, and other Tokio Hotel novelties.  
And now I was here, at one of their concerts, about to meet the men behind the magic. I'd never been able to get a ticket in time before, and I wondered how many of these people were lucky enough to be able to go more than once. And how many people were like me, the first-time concertgoer.  
There was a large billboard above the doorway, flashing commercials and the like. Then it flashed the neon message I'd been waiting for:

All Those With Backstage Passes Please Report To The Ticket Booth On The North Side Of The Building.

Ahh, which side was the north side? Well, maybe if I follow the other people…which will not work, seeing as everyone is moving. I look above the doorway, below the billboard, to see which side it was.

EAST SIDE

Oh, I get it now. I just go to my right, and that will hopefully get me to my destination. It did, and I was soon standing in a small room, crowded with other people talking or squealing to their friends, or whoever they came with. Then a man who seemed to be one of those guys whose only happy because they're getting paid a six number figure for only a few hours worth of work. Gotta hate those guys.  
"All right, are you all ready to see Tokio Hotel?"  
"Yeah!" Came the response of everyone who was there. It seemed too surreal, to strange.  
"Well, they unfortunately can't see anyone tonight. Terribly sorry."  
"What?!" "You lied to us!" "Cheap!" The crowd around me was enraged, ready to launch themselves at the man. I was angry too, for duping me into coming here, but I wasn't angry enough to try anything like that. No, I was just going to call a cab and go home. As I was leaving the room and striding down the hall, fuming, I bumped into someone who was walking the direction opposite me. (I bet you can guess who it is, can't you?)  
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention!"  
"It's all right. I'm kind of in a hurry anyway." This person had an accent, clearly distinct-able as German. I realized that this was Bill Kaulitz, only without his hair spiked up in the outrageous style.  
"Are you Bill Kaulitz?" I just wanted to be sure.  
"Yes, I am." He seemed prepared to bolt should I decided to go after him in a fan-girl fashion.  
"I just wanted to know if you'd let me have two autographs?" He seemed to relax a little, and he signed an autograph to me and Leah, and even took a couple of pictures with me.  
"I hope you enjoy the concert." I didn't have the heart to say I'd been duped by someone he probably thought was trustworthy.  
"Yeah." He then took my hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing it briefly, but softly. He smiled and turned to continue down the hall. I watched with a euphoric feeling welling up in me, and suddenly it didn't matter that I wasn't able to get into the concert. So what if the passes were fake?  
I was right about this being one of the best nights of my life. 


	2. The Pain Of Love Will Last Forever

"Kelsey you always antisocial!", you friend yelled at you as she raised her hands in the air. "Thanks for reminding me.", you said in a sarcastic voice as a fake smile appear across your face. "This is not a time to be sarcastic Kels. I have to get back to the party. When you fell like socializing please do come back.", you friend said as she returned back to the party. "Who do she think she is telling me what to do?", you asked yourself as you walked over to the gate to open it. "I don't even have to be at this crappy party anyway.", you said as you got in your car. You slammed your door shut and started to drive. Suddenly you realized that you were in a place you knew nothing about. You decided to find a park and wait out the party. Lucky there was no one hardly at the park. You decided to take a quick nap to past time by. "Hey Bill, wait there is a girl there.", you heard a man call. "Where?", the Bill person asked as he fell on top of you. "There.", you man said bluntly. "Ouchh.", you said as you tried to push the Bill person off. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to i just...", Bill tried to say. "Just wasn't paying attention right?", you completed the sentence as you got up off the ground. "Hey how can I repay you? Maybe a free concert ticket and backstage pass?", Bill asked you. "You think you can say sorry by giving me tickets?', you asked, but mostly questioned. "Humm I'm not sure what you mean.", Bill asked confused. "Just forget it.", you said as you started to leave. "Wait can I at less know your name please.", Bill asked as he ran over to you. "Kelsey.", you said as you smiled.

You smiled at the thought of finally getting to go to Bill and Tom for the first time since you met them. You jump out your car and closed the door and quickly walked up the flight of stairs that lead to their house. You rang the door bell and was quickly brought in. "Hey Kelsey wait bring you over here today?", Tom asked as he walked to the kitchen. "Haha very funny you almost made me laugh.", you said as you sat on the sofa. "So where's Bill?", you asked as you turned on the t.v "With that Tina girl again.", Tom said as he bit into an apple. "What?", you asked angry. "I said he was out with that Tina girl.", Tom told you as if you was a metal kid. "Why? He said that he was going to hanging with us.", you said as you pulled out your phone. "Maybe because he might like her.", Tom said as he walked over to sit by you. "Sure, I just remind him to come over.", you said as you dialed his number. "Hello is this Bill?', you asked. "No this is Tina, may I ask whose calling?", the girl asked nicely. "Um it's Kelsey.", you said as you let out a long sigh. "Bill told me to tell you that he won't be coming home to tonight because he have more important things to take of.", the girl snort. 'Yeah, like what?", you asked annoyed. "Like being with me.", she said. "Really?', you asked kind of hurt. "Yeah really.", she said in a annoyed voice. "Tell him to have fun then.", you said as you triedto control your voice. "Oh, I make sure he have fun alright.", she said as hung the phone up. "So i'm guessing Bill won't be making it tonight.", Tom said as he gave you a concerned look. "No.", you said as you felt a tear fall down your cheek. "Oh don't cry about it Kels, I'm sure he be back. That Tina girl just wanted to get on your nerves.", Tom said as he tried to cheer you up. "Yeah I just go. I have nothing to be here for.", you said as you got up off the sofa. The door flew open and stromed in Bill. "I can't believe that girl went thought my phone!", Bill screamed. "Calm down bro.", Tom said as he went over to Bill. "No, I won't calm down I heard her talking to someone about not coming home tonight.", Bill said as he walked to the living room. "Hey Bill.", you said quietly. "Hey Kels what you doing here?", Bill asked as he turned the tv on. "We was going to hang out tonight but i guess you forgot.", you said as you headed to the door. "Wait Kelsey don't leave I just had alot of things on my mind.", Bill said as he ran over to stop you. "Why are you not will Tina?", you asked trying to cry. 'I realized I had someone better then her.", Bill said as he grabbed your hand. "Who is that?", you asked in a curious voice. "You Kelsey.", BIll said as he looked deep in your eyes. "Really?", you asked in disbelieth. "Yeah, I love you Kelsey.", Bill said as he pulled you closer to him. "I love you to Bill.", you said as you gave him a kiss. Let's say after that Bill show his love to you in Bed.

 _And We go on and we go on and on and on and on We don't belong we don't belong belong to anyone The Pain Of Love will last for ever promise me promise me_ Bill song for the last time tonight. "Hey Kelsey.", Bill said happily as he over to kiss you. 'You did a great job tonight.", you said as you walked over to the other boys to tell them also. Suddenly you felt the urge to puke and you ran to the rest room. Bill ran after you to amke sure you was alright. "Kels did you get something that upset your stomach?", Bill asked you concern. "No i just drunk some water.', you said as you sat on the couch. "I taking you to the hospital okay.", Bill said as he helped you off the couch. At the doctors office you waited patanicely untill your name was called. Luckily your name as called. You waited for you results. "Ms._ I glad to tell you that you are pregnant.", the doctor said as she smiled. "Wow, I'm going to have a Bill jr. running around the house.", Bill smiled. "Yup you are.", you said as you started to smile. It was about nine mouths later and you were sitting down watching tv. Suddenly a pain struck you. "Aaaaahhhh!", you cried out in pain. "Kelsey what's the matter/", Bill asked. "It's time.", you said in pain. 20 minutes later you was in the hospital in labor. It's was the most pain 9 hours of your life but you gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Bill and you decieded to name her Bella Juliana Kaulitz.


	3. 1000 Oceans Wouldn't Keep Me From You

"Are you sure I look okay? I mean I don't want to look like some tourist trying to fit in or something." You questioned as you took out the clothes in your suitcase. "You look great Honey. Why are you stressing out about how you look now? I mean back home you don't really care." I said sitting down on the bed looking at you go through clothes. "We are in Germany Tyler! You never know who you might meet here." You said pulling your shirt off and putting on a different one. "If you do meet someone it will be your first and last time." I said lying back on the bed. "But what if we meet someone famous like Tokio Hotel, and their guitarist Tom ask me out and I be looking like some wanna be groupie or something?" you asked fixing your hair in a pony tail. "So if we do that Tom boy don't care how you look. He just wanna get some then leave you." I said sitting back up. "Oh please Tyler everyone knows that he only goes after the pretty girls." You said putting on some eye shadow. "You got a point there Honey, so you don't have to worry." I said laughing. "Ha-ha very funny Tyler. Anyways I'll be back later, okay." You said picking up your purse and opening the door. "Okay don't do anything reckless while you are out there." I said waving bye to you. "I'll try." You said closing the door. You were now out in the streets of Germany and was window shopping. You were so busy looking at the windows that you had gotten lost. You asked for directions but everyone that told you was speaking German or had a heavy accent. You walked until you stopped at a coffee shop, so you could try to get some directions. When you went into the shop you noticed that it was empty and that the clerk and you were the only ones there. You walked over to the counter and looked at the menu. Only to frustrate you because it was in German you looked at the clerk and smiled. "May I have one of these?" you said pointing what it seem like a cup of creamed coffee. He nodded his head and picked up a cup and begin to make you coffee. As you were waiting the door open and four men walked in. The men looked familiar but you couldn't tell where you saw them from. "Can you excuse us? We would like to buy something." The tallest one out of all of them said to you with a smile on his face. "Ohhh sorry." You said moving out of the way. "It's okay." he said still smiling at you. _"He's mighty friendly."_ You thought to yourself. "So what's a girl like you doing here?" the one with the braids asked you. "I was going to ask for directions for the clerk but he can't speak English." you said with as sigh. "Well if you want directions I could give you some." He said with a smirk on his face. "I don't think she want those directions Tom." The boy with the perfect brown hair said as he looked at the Tom man in shame. "Tokio Hotel?" you asked raising your eyebrows. "Well that is us." Tom said smiling. You smiled trying to cover up your excitement. "I see that you are happy about this." Tom said looking at you. "Kind of" you said bluntly. "Here's your coffee. You could sit with us if you want." Bill said giving you a cup. You and the guys talked for about two hours until the clerk said that he had to close up soon. "So you want us to give you a ride to your hotel?" Tom asked with a smile on his face. "If you guys don't mind." You said looking at all four of them. "We don't mind." They all said in unison.

It has been a month since you met Tokio Hotel, and you been keeping in touch with them because Tom gave you all four of their numbers. This weekend they would be in the USA promoting their album Humanoid, and they invited you to come and hang out with them at their hotel afterwards. You now only a few steps away from the boys' room and you heard loud music playing. _"They must be having a party"_ you thought to yourself as you approached the door. You knocked two times and waited for someone to come. About two seconds later the door was opened and you was pulled in. "What took you so long Honey? You didn't get lost did you?" Bill said giving you a warm smile. "I didn't this time." You said laughing. "Well Tomi is not here he went to get some drinks." Bill said grabbed your hand and pulling you over to the bed. "Ohhh I see." You said thinking of the drinks that he would be bringing back. "We missed you, well mostly Tomi did, but I'm glad to see you again Honey." Bill said thinking. "I see." You said looking at the many decorations with your name on them. "I'm back.' Tom said putting the drinks down on the table. "What you got in those bags?" you asked looking curious. "Drinks Honey." Tom said laughing. "Don't mind him. He brought 14 cases of beer and some water." Georg said plainly as he looked in the mirror messing with his hair. Your month dropped in shock. What would the five of you do with 14 cases of beer? "Ah, don't listen to Georg. I brought 2 cases of beer and some soda and water." Tom said putting a cd in the stereo against the wall. You let out of a breath of relief. The night was spent with you guys dancing, singing, and learning a lot about each other. Everyone was now asleep except for you and Tom. "This was a nice party you threw Tom" you said stepping over Gustav. "I guess." He said walking behind you. "Where you think you going." You asked Tom wide eyed. "Don't know. I thought you could tell me." He said with a smirk on his face. "Do you ever think straight?" you asked him. "I'm doing it now." He said smiling at you. "You do act." You tried to say but were quiet by Tom lips on yours. You were shocked at first but started kissing back. Let's say that lead to some other things that night.

"I can't believe this." You said putting your hands over your face. You couldn't believe that you was now carry Tom Kaulitz child. "What are you doing up this morning?" you heard Tom ask coming out on the balcony. "I needed to get some air that's all." You said turning to face him. "You should have told me before you left I was worried." Tom said a little concerned. "I didn't want to bother you. You looked like you was having a good sleep." You said as you looked at Tom. "Ohh okay." Tom said as he walked over towards you. You suddenly felt the like throwing up and ran to the restroom. When you came out the restroom you found waiting for you. "Are you okay Honey?" Tom asked walking over towards you. "I'm okay." You said plainly. "Are you sure?" Tom asked concern this time looking in your eyes. "No I'm not okay.' You said giving in. "So are you going to tell me what's wrong?" he asked looking at you. "Well remember that night at the hotel?" you asked looking at Tom serious. "Well what about it?" he asked looking right back at you. "Well I'm pregnant." You said looking straight into Tom eyes. There was silence for a while then Tom finally spoke up. "Well I didn't want a family, but I guess that I have to settle down now." He said taking your hand. "Really?" you asked surprised. "Yeah really I love Honey and I want to settle down with you and have a family." Tom said hugging you. "I love you to Tom" you said as you kissed him. You had a beautiful baby boy and named him _. Three months later you and Tom got married and had two more kids


	4. Cupid Called

First day of school. Worst day of my life.  
I pushed through the crowd. Where is my locker? I walked down the hall and was shoved into someone.  
"Shit, sorry." I mumbled.  
"It's okay." Damn, was that-? Yes it was Tom. The one and only Tom Kaulitz. The one I had been crushing on for the past two years.  
I quickly ran off and then found my locker. After dumping my stuff in it I went and looked for Anna. I quickly found her near the bathrooms.  
"Anna! Oh my god. I just bumped into Tom Kaulitz and he talked to ME!" I jumped up and down, excitedly.  
"Yeah, that's brilliant Sammie. But you know he is no good." She replied. The look of disappointment on her face made me sad. What did she know?  
I glared at her and stormed off. I would show her.  
I walked to my first class and sat down. I pulled out my I-pod and listened to eatmewhileimhot until the teacher came.  
"Excuse me? Can I sit here?" I didn't even look up, I just nodded and went back to listening to Christofer Drew singing.  
"Sammie?" I looked up when my name was called. Tom was sitting next to me. How did I not notice that?  
"Um, yeah, Tom?" I mumbled, looking down at the desk. What a pretty desk …  
"I was wondering if you would like to, maybe, help tutor me?" He bit his lip and glanced at the teacher then back at me. I nodded, eagerly.  
He smiled and went back to writing in his book. I pursed my lips and frowned. That wasn't his usual behaviour. Tom never worked. Maybe he is changing!  
Lunch finally came round and I was worried. Why you ask? I'm a bit of a loner and my only friend happens to be Anna. And I was a bitch to her this morning.  
I sat at our usual table and felt ever so panicked when Anna walked straight past and sat by Michelle. Michelle was one of those girls that everyone envied. She had pretty blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes.  
She was currently Tom's flavour of the week. I watched as he walked past me and sat beside Michelle and Anna. So much for not being good for me.  
I sighed and began to eat my pathetic lunch. I heard Anna laugh at something Tom was saying and felt a wave of dismay wash over me. Soon the bell went and I ran off to my next class. I had Biology with Anna. I was put in the seat beside her.  
"Right class. Today we are learning about osmosis. That is the movement of water particles from a high concentration to a low concentration through a semi-permeable membrane." The teacher continued to drone on about water and movement.  
"Anna?" I whispered. She turned and glared at me before beginning to copy down what the teacher was saying.  
"You're a hypocrite." I muttered.  
"What?" She said, loud enough to draw some attention. I glared at the paper in front of me.  
"You said he was no good for me. And then you left me by myself and sat with him and Michelle. You hate Michelle."  
Anna ignored me and went on writing. "Fine, I'll date Bill instead." I knew she had a crush on Bill. The brother of Tom.  
"NO!" She yelled.  
"Is there something you would like to share, Miss Anna?" The teacher sneered. Anna shook her head and blushed.  
If Tom wasn't any good for me, Bill was no good for her.  
"Fine, whatever. Date Tom. But don't come running to me when he breaks your heart."

Tom had agreed to come over to my house after school to study. I ran home quickly and tidied up as best I could. My mom wasn't in. She was away at some work related thing.  
Ding Dong. I bolted down the stairs and through the door open. Tom smirked and waltzed in.  
"You look nice, Sammie." He glanced at me, then my boobs and then walked upstairs. I heard him open some doors and then it went silent.  
Oh god, what has he found? I ran upstairs and found him in my mom's bedroom. I looked over his shoulder and saw a man. What the-?  
"Hey! What are you kids doing here?" The man yelled.  
"Um, dude? Who the hell are you? This is my house. What are you doing in my mom's room?" I shouted. The guy's eyes widened and he bolted out of the room and down the stairs. I heard the front door slam and was thoroughly confused.  
"Well, that was weird. Study time?" Tom looked down at me and smiled. I nodded and walked to my room, still slightly confused.  
"Hey, Sam?" I turned and gasped. I never realised Tom was that close.  
"W-What?" I stuttered. Tom smiled and raised his hand, placing it on my cheek. He leant in and kissed me passionately before whispering in my ear.  
"I love you."


	5. Concert Love

I Got Ready For One Of The Greatest Days In My Life I Was Going To A Tokio Hotel Concert with My 2 Besties Michelle& ,We Had Backstage Passes.I Would Get To Meet My Crush Tom Kaulitz.

I Just Finished Straightening My Blonde Hair,I walked Out My Bathroom My Heels Clacking against The Floor.I Looked In The Mirror,Checking To See If My Outfit was Perfect.I Had on A Black Tokio Hotel Shirt,Black Skinny Jeans,And Some Black Heels.

"Lara We're Going To Be Late"Michelle Called From Downstairs."We Can't Keep Tom Waiting"

"Im Coming,Im Coming"I Yelled Rolling My Green Knew I Had The Biggest Crush On Tom.

I Walked Downstairs And Rowena&Michelle Were Waiting By The Door..Impatiently.

"Let's Get Going"I Said Grabbing My Jacket.

"Yea Tom Is Waiting"Rowena Said As We Walked To Michelle's Car.

I Looked Back And Glared At Her,They Always Teased Me About Liking Tom As Much As I Was Going To Be Even Drove To The Arena Blasting Them the Whole Way.

We Walked To Our Seats,Getting Settled As We Waited For The Concert To Had Awesome Seats Right In Front Of The Stage!The Lights Went Down And The Crowd Screamed.

They Started to Play "Scream".Me And My Friends Sang Along.I Looked Over At Tom And He Was Looking Directly At Me.I Blushed And Smiled Looking Down.I Looked Back Up,He Was Just Smiling As He Played.

"I Saw That"Rowena Said Next To Me.

"It Was Nothing"I Said Blushing Evenmore.

***After The Concert***

Me,Rowena,and Michelle All Went BackStage After The Showed The Guards Our Passes And They Let Us Found Our Way To A Little Lounge Area Where The Band Weren't Facing Us Bill Was Making Them Cleared Her Throat and They All Looked Back At Eyes Immediately Found Tom' Was A Akward Silence Until Georg Said"Hey,Nice To Meet You"

"Uh..Im Michelle,and These are My Friends Lara And Rowena"Michelle said Pointing to us.

We Shook Hands With Georg then The Rest Of the guys Got Up And Shook Our I Shook Hands With Tom,Butterflies Immediately Started Fluttering In My Stomach.

We had Them Sign Our Souveiners And Got A Picture With All Of Were Really Nice And Laid Were Just Talking To Them About Their Tour And Tom Comes And Sits By Me And Turns To Me.

"Hey Uhh You're Lara Right" He Asked.

"Yea Im Lara"I Laughed

"Nice To Meet You"He Said More Sure.

"It's Epicly Awesome To Meet You"I Said Before I Could Stop Myself.i Clamped My Hand Over My Mouth Hoping He Didn't Hear Me.

" epicly Awesome"He Said Smiling

He Had A Really Preety Smile!

"That wasn't suppose To come Out"I Said Getting Red From Embarresment.

"Well Let's Go Get SomeThing To Drink"He Insisted Standing Up.

I Nodded As We Walked Away from the rest of The got to The Little Snack Area,And Tom went To The Fridge.I Grabbed An Apple Taking A Bite Of It,

"So Lara.."He Trailed walking Over To Me Handing Me A Water.

"Soo What"i Asked Smiling Taking A Drink Of Water.

"Umm..I Like You"He Said

I Almost Spit My water Out When he Said That.

"I Didn't Mean To Take You off Guard"He Said.

"You Didnt My Water just Didnt Go DownRight"i Said Coughing a Little.

"I Dont Know What It Is But I Really Like You"He Confessed Taking My Hand In His.

"I Like You Too"I Replied Setting Down My Water.

"I Dont Know If It's You Pretty Green Eyes Or Your Blonde Hair But I Like You"He Said Squezzing My Hand A Little,Then Leaning In Pressing his Lips To Mine.

I Was Speechless.I Mean My Crush Just Said He Likes Me And He Kissed Me!

"I Was Wondering If Maybe You'd Want To go Out Sometime?"He Asked An Inch Away From My Face.

"I'd Love Too"I Said Finally Able To Speak.

He Pulled Out A Sharpie And Grabbed My Hand Writing Down His He Was Done I Wrote Mine On His Walked Back To The Band And My Friends And they All Were Just Looking At Us.

We Sat Down And Talked The Rest of The Time We Were To Eachother Alot More.


	6. In The Candle Light

okay well i wanted to show you the begging i know this isnt so great i had it perty good but then i remember that you wanted to meet him backstage so i had to change it... again lol.  
" Oh My God, Kelly ! I cant believe you won Tickets and backstage passes to Tokio Hotel!" my best friend Skylar said. " We get to Meet BILL" She screamed two times louder then before, she loves bill. My name is Kelly, im 18 and maddly in love with Gustav Schafer. I sat at my desk, and started to brush my brown hair.  
" I know i just called into the raido station, They asked me a question, got it right and know we are going to GERMANY!" i said starting to dance around. Skylar turned on Automatic to full blast and we just danced around for like 30 minutes. Then my cell started to ring.  
" Hello" i said waving to Skylar to turn down the music.  
" Hi, Its Kalub from the radio station, come pick up your tickets, backstage passes tommorrow morning. you will be staying ther for 3 days in one of there nices hotels. oh and by the way your leaving tommorow at 5pm so make sure you get to the airport by 4, okay."  
" Yes, Thank you ssoooooo much! Bye" i said hanging up dancing around again but then stopped. " crap we have to leave tommorow which means that we have to get ready know." i said running into my closet. Skylar looked at me shoked.  
" for how long"  
" three days so go get packed" a big smile crossed her face as she ran out of my room.

* Getting off plane, next day at 6 O'clock P.M There *  
" I need to go barf " Skylar said running to the bathrooms, we just found out she is not very good on planes. I looked around till i saw a tall guy in a black uniform with a sign that said ' Kelly and Skylar'. Skylar came out happier then ever as she walked over to me.  
" come on i see were we need to go." i said with her following me. I tapped the mans shoulder.  
" Hallo are you Kelly and Skylar. " we shook our heads, " i am Jeffory, you personal driver while you stay here, know if you please follow me." he said as he started to walk.  
After pickin up our luggage he took us to a big black limo. but stopped " Mr. Bill Kaulitz arranged a suprise for you, the hotel was filled before they could get you a room so you will be staying with them. but that will be after the concert, they were able to get you a room just for tonight. the concert will be tomorrow at 6" we both started to squel and jump around.  
We hoped in the car and talked the whole way to the hotel.

I Grabbed the room key and we ran to the elevator laughing like maniac's. Skylar took the key once the door opened and ran to the room. In the hotel room there was a kitchen, livingroom, and 2 bedrooms. I went into my room were i found a bundle of Red Rose's and a note.

Dear Kelly,

Hope you like your stay, bring your stuff to the concert. Hope you have fun while your n Germany :)

Love

Tokio Hotel

After skylar saw we danced around the room till we got hungry, we went down to the restraunt in the hotel and both had the best meal ever. The tall blonde guy from the desk that was about our age asked if we wanted to go dance down town, of corse we said ... Yes.

* Back from the party*

" That was so much fun." sky said after we got in.

" yea, im going to bed ill see you in the morning." i said going to my room to fall asleep.

* first offical day in Germany And at the concert spot *

" Thank you Jeffory" i said as i picked up my luggage.

" your welcome just make sure to show them you backstage passes." he said and i nodded.

" passes " he said i showed him our and we went in.

" okay which way know" skylar said looking around. A tall guy with pall skin, a baggy outfit and sun glasses on came up to us.

" follow me. " he said and we did as he said. He opened the door and there sat Gustav, Georg, and Bill.

" Hi come sit down how was your flight " Bill said as the guy that showed us here left. Skylar and Bill Were talking she told him how she got sick from the flight and he laughed at her. She punched him and then he punched her this went on for a looonnngg time. I talked to Gustav and Georg.

" Hey im gona go find Tom" Georg said getting up and going out the door.

" So are you excited to go to your first Tokio Hotel concert." he said getting closer to me. i smiled at him.

" yea, i cant wait to see you play the drums. your always so serious and then your like really cute at the same time... and i dont know why i just said that." i said blushing.

" well thank you, your not bad yourself" he said smiling. we went on talking till i looked over at Bill and Skylar, they really hit it off. they were mouth to mouth, me and gustav were laughing so hard that they practiclly fell from being scared so bad. The door then swung open with the guy that showed us around earlier and Georg in guy took off sunglasses and smiled at wasTom and he was laughing like crazy.

" What " Gustav said

" Georg found me talking to some girls and thenhe went up to a ' girl' and smacked her butt. It turned out to be a guy and we had to run the whole way here." everybody but Georg laughed.

" you guys need to go, they need to get on stage in 2 kissed Bill onemore time andi winked to Gustav who just laughed and winked back.

" So you and Bill " i said looking at her. she smiled

" so you and Gustav hu"

" hey at lease we werent toung in toung" we laughed the whole way to the sets.

* after concert at the after party*

We have been at the after party for 2 hours know and i am not usally the type to be the party pooper but i am getting tired. Gustav came up behind me and hugged me.

" thank you for coming here, i usally dont have fun but it was diffrent this time." he said smiling.

" your welcome. I know this may make you sad know, but im ready to go back to your place... not meaning that sexually." i said and we both laughed. He grabbed my hand and lead me back to the car. the whole ride there we would ask eachother questions and then answer.

" okay this is Home" Gustav said getting out of the car and walked around to open my door. " come on ill show you your room" he said grabbing my hand and intertwining our fingers. the house was two stories tall and really large.

" Wow" i said once i scene the room i would be in. It was big with a king size bed and a large screen tv.

" here is your's and Skylars room"

" oh crap i forgot Skylar she is going to kill me" i said sitting down on the bed.

" dont worry bill is with her so she will be fine." he said kissing my forhead and going to his own room. That night i fell asleep with a big freaking smile on my face.

* the second day around 11 a.m. *

" Hallo" Gustav said to me once i came down the stairs.

" i cant believe im not dreaming. i mean your here and im in germany. Its just perfect." i said smiling as i sat down at the kitchen table with him.

" so im in your dreams, Ja" he said in a cocky voice.

" maby, i want to do some thing today" i said grabbing one of his three pancakes.

" well if you give me back my pancake ill take you anywere you want." i put his pancake back down and then looked at him, he looked at me and gave me a grin. " What "

" Can you make me a pancake." i said and he just laughed.

* after going out for the day.*

Gustav is so great, he took me shopping then to some really cool places and he even made me dinner.

" so how was today" bill said with skylar in his lap.

" Great what about you guys." I smiled, Skylar lifted up her hand and showed me a ring. " no your not engaged are you"

" NO!" they both said at the same time.

" He bought me a ring after lunch. " she said smiling. but i knew she wish that they were engaged.

" Hey Kelly Come here really quick" gustav said from upstairs. I ran upstairs and as i did i heard Skylar say " she is so whipped" i just laughed.

" hey whats up" i said sitting down on his bed.

" you want to go with me some place special tomorrow." he said with a smile.

" Yes!" i said quickly and he laughed at me.

" okay its a suprise though... you want to watch a movie." i nodded and that night i fell asleep while watching Tokio Hotel TV with Gustav holding me in his arms.

* Third day around 8p.m. *

Gustav made me get all dressed up in a dress and wont tell me were we are going. He said ' its a suprise, you do know what a suprise is right'. The limo stopped in front of a restrant with no cars at it except one. Jeffory said that Gustav is already inside.

I opened the door and smiled the lights were baraly there, a ton of candles light up every were. Gustav sat at a table with a smile on his face. i walked over to him and smiled.

" suprise" he said laughing, a guy came out with a meal and set it down as he poured us some wine. I smiled at him. " Kelly, I love you... alot. " this came as a shock to me, he continued " Would you be my girlfriend"

" I love you too, and of course i will be your girlfriend" i said as i kissed him, he kissed back and it just felt so right.

"Here" he said lifting up a box with a necklace in it. It had two hearts with a inscription that read: forever yours, love Gustav." i started to cry and he wiped them away.

He kissed me again and i knew that he was the one.

I sat there with my true love. In the candle light.


	7. You Have To Get Lost To Find Yourself

The eerie woodland was quiet and motionless. The sun was setting slowly, somewhere out of the maze of trees. Red and brown leaves carpeted the ground as more cascaded from the slumbering tree branches. But I kept walking. Not knowing where I was going was like a release, nothing could explain it. My fingers played daringly with the icy blade that was hidden in the pocket of my hooded jumper. The soft black fabric loose against my boney frame. My scarlet skinny jeans began to soak around my ankles with the dewy liquid from the last rainfall. I walked slowly and carefully through the woods outside my house, the building that held every memory and nightmare I could imagine. The house I was soon to be thrown out from and forced to find a family member to stay with. But I had no family, none that I knew of anyway.  
My parents died a week ago in a fatal car crash. Their vehicle broke down on the train tracks as they made the journey to my school to collect me. The train came speeding ahead as my mothers blood curdeling scream filled the car. Then the crunch of metal and screach of wheels as the train stopped slowly, dragging the mangled corpses of my parents with it.  
I looked up from the sodden forest floor and through the curtain of black and purple hair that had fallen into my chocolate brown eyes to see a babbling brook. The soothing lullaby of the water as it crashed against the rocks comforted me, caused me to draw my fingers away from the metal blade in my pocket and run them through the water. The tingling sensation as the water ran through my fingers sent a shiver down my spine. I sat on the bank that held the brook in place and watched the liquid as it danced across the dark pebbles. How could something so beautiful and calm belong in a place so eerie and lifeless?  
That's when a voice caught my attention. The voice wasn't familiar to me in anyway but they knew my name. They called it over and over again, pleading me to answer.  
"Simran!" They shouted anxiously. "Simran! Where are you?" They asked. My voice caught in my throat, drying up hoarsely as I searched for my melodic voice. I gave up on finding it and stood from the damp ground, a patch of wet on my along my legs from where I had been sitting. I trudged through the forest, following the young girls voice in an attempt to find her. As I walked further and further away from the babbling brook, the young voice grew louder.  
I finally came to a clearing in the middle of the forest where a guy I knew all too well was waiting. Stood in the center of the clearing my best friend since kindergarten, Bill Kaulitz. I ran up to him, throwing my arms around his neck as he held me tight.  
"I'm sorry Simran, so sorry." He whispered as his arms snaked around my waist, holding me closer to his body. A gush of blood warmed my cheeks as a blush throbbed under the membrane of skin.  
"They're gone." I sobbed, the words of the policewoman as she gave me the news finally sinking into me.  
"Sim." Bill whispered, tucking a starnd of black and purple hair that had escaped behind my ear. He looked down at me, his brown eyes smoldering into my own. "I love you. Stay with me." He said, sending shivers down my spine.  
"Y-you what?" I stuttered, unsure of what he just said.  
"Stay with me and be my girlfriend. I love you Simran." He repeated. I felt warm salty tears of happiness began welling in my eyes.  
"I-I love you too Bill." I said just above a whisper. The smile I knew and loved curved onto his lips as he bent down lightly, throwing me into a bridal style hold as he connected his soft rosey lips to my own. My skin burned in every way as our lips moved in unison. I'd waited so long for this moment and tears had begun to spill over their walls and trickle in streams down my cheeks.  
"Now." Bill breathed against my lips once we let go. "Let's get you home and warm." With that we were walking through the woods and out into the moonlight.

~~~~~~~~~~~4 years later~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Guten abend meine liebe." Bill whispered in my ear as I stood infront of the mirror, eyeing my outfit up and down. A shiver shot down my spine as his sweet breath hit my skin.  
"Good evening to you too." I smiled.  
"You ready for the concert?" He asked as he sent soft kisses down my neck. I nodded my head, fearing my voice would break into a moan due to my sweet spot being bitten.  
"I have a surprise for you tonight." He said, running off to the stage before I could ask why.

~~~~~~~~~Near the end of the concert~~~~~~~~~~~

The conceret was going great. The crowd was roaring with excitment as Bill announced something I did not expect.  
"Simran! Can you please come up here?" He called into the mic. I did as I was told and bounced onto the stage next to Bill. He smiled at me before bending down on one knee with a black box. Before He could even ask, I pounced on him with a hug, shouting my answer.  
"Yes!" I cried earning a chorus of awe's from the crowd.

~~~~~~~~~Many years later~~~~~~~~~~

I stood on the balcony, watching the world pass by as night began drawing in. Bill wrapped his arms around me, laying his warm hands on my swollen abdomen and his chin on my shoulder.  
"And all it took was for you to get lost in the woods." Bill laughed kissing my cheek as his thumb traced a line up and down my stomach.  
"That's all it took. Ich liebe dich." I smiled.  
"Ich liebe dich auch." He replied only for a tiny foot to kick his hand causing us both to gasp.  
"Ich liebe dich auch." Bill said poking the foot. I laughed at him and the baby before turning back to the scenery, thankful for the one time I got lost...


	8. I'm By Your Side

chiara's POV  
me and my best friend kelsey were stood in the middle of an enormous crowd, watching the empty stage awaiting the arrival of our favourite band. just two weeksago we were sat watchingTV whenone of those competition things popped up.  
"i'm going to get popcorn, be right back." i said walking over to the kitchen. as soon as i was about to put the popcorn into a bowl i heard a piercing screech come from theden.  
"oh mein gott, kelsey has someone murderd you or something?!" i shouted pouring the popcorn into a bowl and shuffling into the den, half expecting a dead body on the floor, (lol).  
"no!, just get your ass here NOW! its a comp. to go see tokio hotel in germany!" she replied, and so we won the competition and we are finally in germany!  
"Guten Abend Deutschland! Sind Sie bereit, Rock?!" a sexy german accented voiced boomed, making me jump out of my flashback. me and kelsey screamed at the top of our lungs. i could feel a rush of addreneline as the started playing 'scream'.  
me and kelsey were dancing and singing like we had nothing but skittles and sugar for the past 3 hours and the sugar rush had just kicked in! i looked up at the stage to see tom doing is thing with his guitar, i swear i saw him wink at me...no it must have been that blonde bimbo there...  
toms POV  
i looked across the crowd and spotted a pretty...no wait beautiful girl stood in the crown looking at me! her dark brown hair swaying, her eyes gleamed and seemed to smile at me. i gave her a wink, but she looked towards the blonde slut that was next to her. shit! she must have thought i was looking at the blonde. she put her head down slightly so her soft hair covered her warm chocolate brown eyes. please look back up! i need to get her attention again!  
"can we do a by your side next, i need to get someones attention" i whispered in bill's ear. he rolled his eyes thinking i was after a groupie to get a one-night-stand out of.  
"whatever, but dont go showing off this time!" he replied. once scream was finished bill shouted across the audience,  
"the next song is 'by your side', and its going out to a special girl in the audience that tom seems to have his eye on!" oh way to be discreet bill! i glared at him, he just smirked and looked across the audience like he was trying to pick out the girl. i started to play the first few cords and the girls head shot up, YESS!  
Chiara's POV  
me and kelsey were chatting about 'if i was his girlfriend' and stuff like that, not really paying attention to bill's announcment(sp?). then i heard the cords of 'by your side' and i shot my head up, this was my favourite song ever! i saw tom looking at me, not the blonde next to me, me!  
when the concert drew to an end bill said into the microphone;  
"thank you, you have been a fantastic audience!" the band walked off the stage and me and kelsey were about to walk out the concert hall when...  
"come with me" a voice ordered and a stong hand grabbed me and kelsey's arms and dragged us back stage. we looked at eachother confused. we finally came to a door which said 'Tokio Hotel' above the door. the man that dragged us here was tall and muscely(sp?), his head bald and shiny, his face chubby with an annoyed expression drawn on it. tattoos laced up and down his arms like a story told in art.  
"here" he said handing us two backstage passes, he knocked on the door hard awaiting an answer.  
"kommen in!" called a tired sounding voice from behind the door. the guy that dragged us here pushed the door open, wide enough to shove me and kelsey in the room.  
"competition winners, be nice!" he said before slamming the door shut.  
"someones not a happy bunny" i said trying to break the ice. bill giggled like a 5 year old, i wonder if tom has the same laugh.  
"oh thats just our body guard, dont be worry he wouldnt hurt a fly, unless the fly was attacking us" tom replied, typical cocky answer from him.  
"so have you girls got names to go with your gorgeous faces?" tom asked us. bill rolled his eyes at his twins flirty behaviour.  
"i'm Chiara and this is Kelsey" i said pointing towards kelsey  
"come and sit down" georg said patting the seats next to him. kelsey and me walked over to them but before i could sit down tom grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto his lap.  
"your better off siting here" he whispered in my ear. i must have blushed a thousand shadesof red because my cheeks felt really hot.  
"stop scaring the pretty girl!"demanded jokingly. everyone laughed except tom who glared at gustav. after a good few hours of chatting and joking about georg left the room closely followed by kelsey.  
"going to get some air!" she called on her way out the door. everyone looked at eachother then just burst out laughing. of course they weren't going out for air, unless they are going to give eachother life saving mouth-to-mouth!  
soon enough it was time for me and kelsey to go home.  
"i dont want you to go!" bill whined childishly. i hugged him tight, in the short space of time that i met him we have actually grown close...  
bill's POV

i can see why tom likes Chiara, shes funny, pretty and bubbly! but i just don't see her as more then a little sister.  
"i dont want you to go!" i whined. Chiara came and gave me a hug.  
"aww bless yah!" she said. i put on the biggest smirk and looked over to tom who was glaring at me, his arms crossed over his chest. i love winding my big brother up!  
Chiara's POV

"why dont we meet up again tomorrow?" tom asked looking at me with a sexy smirk.  
"ok then" i said pulling kelsey away from georg.  
"you can see lover boy tomorrow!" i said jokingly she just crosed her arms, everyone else laughed though except georg who was blushing like i was earlier.  
~~~~~the next day~~~~~  
i woke up to have my phone dancing across my bedside table. i looked at the caller ID. 'tom' it read. i dont remember giving him my number or vice versa! oh well. i slid my phone up and put it to my ear.  
"hello" i said still half asleep.  
"hallo chiara, did i wake you up?"  
"yep" i wasnt really in the mood for talking  
"oh sorry, i was just wandering if you wanted to hang out today?"  
"yeh, sure" i replied now fully awake due to excitment.  
"ok meet me outside the shopping mall at say, 10:45?"  
"sounds good, see you then"  
"great see yah soon!"  
i jumped out of bed and skipped towards my wardrobe.  
"what to wear!"  
about a million outfit changes, a thousand make up wipes and hunreds of hairstyles later i was finally at the shopping mall.  
"hallo!" i must have jumped 3 foot in the air i was so shocked, i turned around and saw tom. he had his usual clothing on, hat oversized tee and jeans but he had sunglasses on.  
"hi" i replied clutching my chest where my heart was beating a million and one times a second!  
"i want to show you something!" he said grabbing my hand and pulling me towards a large white door. he shovded the door open effortlessly. infront of me was a massive fountain, with crystal blue trickling down making small splashingnoises as it hit the pool below.  
"well?" he asked  
"its beautiful!" i said still in shock.  
"yes you are" he said slowly. i turned around fast and looked at him like he was crazy.  
"i...i..i'm beautiful?" i asked him in disbelief, no one has ever called me beautiful, hot but never beautiful!  
"yes" he said simply pulling my closer so he could wrap his arms around my waist. he bent his head down, seeing as im only 5ft8". i went on my tip-toes and met him half way. our lips seemed to fit together perfectly, like he was a missing piece of my jigsaw. fiireworks seemed to fly overhead. he finall withdrew from me to catch his breath.  
he gently placed his forhead on mine, and whispered;  
"i love you"  
"i love you too!" i said and gave him a long passionate kiss!  
from then on me and tom have been going stong, ive heard rumors of him proposing to me, but who knows! as for kelsey and georg, lets just say the pitter patter of tiny feet will soon be filling the ears of the band! 


	9. Do You Believe In Love At First Sight?

me and my best friend lucy walked down the hallway to where tokio hotel were chilling after the show.  
"oh my god jordan! we are going to meet tokio hotel!" she exclaimed jumping up and down.  
"ok, breathe!" i told her. she calmed down as we walked deeper into the maze of hallways and doors. the body guard stopped infront of one door and knocked loudly.  
"come in!" a deep voice called from behind the door. the body guard opened it widely so me and lucy were in view.  
"looks like we have company, come and sit down" tom purred, standing up from his seat and holding the door open. lucy blushed deeply and sat down on the sofa. i wanted to be out of view so i sat on the edge of the sofa and stayed quiet.  
"i dont like being around people constantly either" a voice said. i turned to see gustav smiling at me. i smiled back trying to be friendly.  
"want to come for a walk, get away from it all for ten minutes?" he asked holidng out a hand. i nodded shyly and took the hand infront of me. he lead me out the back door i never noticed before and we walked out onto a beachy area. the sea lapped up at the edge of the sand.  
"so, um, you like music?" he asked trying to make a conversation.  
"yeah, my dad used to teach my drums" i said.  
"cool, so um to be honest i have no idea what to say" he said laughing at himself.  
"me either" i answered laughing along awkwardly. we sat sat down on the sand and watched as the sea glistened with the sunlight.  
"do you believe in love at first sight?" he asked suddenly breaking the silence that overcome.  
"kinda" i replied. just his presence made my knees go weak. the breeze made my waist length hair sway like a brown ribbon in the wind.  
"well i didn't, until i met you that is" he said gazing into my eyes. "its something about the way your green eyes sparkled when i spoke to you and the way your hair floats when you walk." he explained. gustav tucked a stray hair behind my ear making my cheeks blush a deep crimson. he let his hand rest on my cheek, stroking my skin with his thumb. a tingling sensation filled my body. "do you mind i kiss you?" he asked leaning closer to me.  
"ye" i said, my voice merley a whisper but he heard me. as his lips touched mine the world seemed to melt around me. the way our lips moved together made my tummy do somersaults within my abdomen. his soft tongue glided across my bottom lip, pleading for entrance. i opened my mouth slightly letting his tongue slip into my mouth. gustav pulled away and smiled sweetly at me.  
"i know we only just met but, will you be mine? forever and always?" he asked rubbing the back of his neck awakwardly.  
"i'd like that" i answered resting my head on his shoulder.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~1 year later~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
me and gustav were holding hands as we strode along the beach we had our first kiss on. gusta suddenly stopped and leant down on one knee. i gasped as he pulled out a black velvet box.  
"jordan blair...you are my heart, my world i couldnt live without you...will you marry me?" he asked as he opened the box. a silver band holding three gems was glistening from the box.  
"y-y-yes! yes i'll marry you!" i exclaimed elated with joy. gustav slipped the ring onto my finger standing up and hugging me tight. he spun me round in circles as i kissed him, filled with joy.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~the wedding~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"do you gustav shaffer take jordan blair to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the minister spoke.  
"i do" gustav answered smiling at me.  
"do you jordan blair take gustav shaffer to be your lawfully wedded husband?" tears welled in my eyes, threatening to fall.  
"i do" i said as a tear of joy flowed freely down my cheek.  
"you may now kiss the bride" the minister said shutting the book. gustav wrapped an arm carefully around my waist embracing me in a kiss. he bent down so i was near the floor.  
people cheered and clapped as we ran down the aisle and out the door. confetti and flower petals covered us like colourful snow as we stepped into the car.  
"how does it feel to be mrs shaffer?" gustav asked, the cute smile i loved so much curved permanently on his lips.  
"i feel...amazing!" i said kissing him again. this kiss was different though, full of passion and love.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1 year after the wedding~~~~~~~~~~~~  
as me and lucy were sat down in the living room area of the tour bus. my bump was growing by the day. i felta kick as the baby lurched around inside me.  
"quick its kicking!" i said grabbing lucy'shand and placing it on my bump. thats when warm water trickled down my legs and painstang into my body. "gustav! this baby is coming, and its coming NOW!" i screamed as pain ran through me once more. lucy ran off to grab my things as gustav helped me to the car. i lay in the back of the car, feeling the baby kick and punch as it turned to get into position. "aahhhhh! this fucking baby isnt stopping!" i screamed as gustav speeded down to the hospital.  
hours later the doctor held upa baby girl and handed it to me.  
"its a girl" the doctor beamed.  
"shes perfect" gustav cooed as she held onto his finger.  
"yeah, she is" i said rocking her back and forth. her green eyes shone like emralds. gustav kissed my forehead gently.  
"my two brave girls" he said gazing down at our beautiful baby girl.  
and thats how it happened, my life with gustav. we fell in love on a beach and hada baby girl...tom and lucy had a happy relationship but nothing could compare to the connection me and gustav made n the day i believed in love at first sight.


	10. Best Birthday Present Ever

"now open your eyes!" my friend shayna cried taking her hands from my eyes. the sight before me made me gawk in awe. the ceiling was covered by ribbons and banners saying 'happy birthday' and balloons covered the floor like a carpet.  
"i-i-its awsome!" i stuttered eyeing around the room.  
"happy birthday baby girl!" my boyfriend of three months, jay, said as he kissed me sweetly. people always said he was a player but i didn't believe them, he was my love no matter what! music was blasting and the lights were twirling and flashing in every direction of the room. me and jay were dancing around like mad when the music stopped abruptly. i looked up at the stage to see shayna stood there with a microphone in her hand.  
"now i want to hear you all scream for tokio hotel! this is for you brianna, love you babes and have a awsome birthday!" she said into the mic. the cords to love is dead were strummed and the band appeared on the stage. jay seemed to disappear from view so me and shay danced and sang along to the music that hypnotised me, making my dark brown hair sway in the motion. "this is for the birthday girl! have a fab birthday!" bill called into the mic. i blushed a deep crimson as i saw georg look across the audience and until his eyes met mine. he smiled sweetly so i smiled in return. "bri! snap out of it!" shay laughed snapping her fingers infront of me.  
"huh? what was that?" i asked dazed from my sudden day dream.  
"did you see tom wink at me?" she asked bouncing up and down.  
"ye, yeah of course he did" i answered not quite in this world more like in heaven. i looked over to see jay sucking the face off the school slut. "i'll be right back" i told shay and stormed over to the two. i tapped jay on the shoulder hard enough for him not to notice.  
"um bri it isnt what it looks like" he stuttered, removing his tongue from the sluts throat.  
"save your breath, its over" i said bluntly and slapped him across the cheek. "as for you, enjoy it and make sure you give him some of your STD's at the same time" i said slapping her hard across her left cheek leaving a red hand mark. i ran out the room and onto a balcony where the breeze made my tears sting my skin. my dark eyes began to turn red with the tears and my hair tangled from the wind.  
"vats ze matter?" a thickly accented voice asked from behind me. i quickly wiped my tears away.  
"n-nothing" i replied, gazing out at the night sky.  
"theres something, vats up?" the voice pressed, rubbing my back in an attempt to sooth me. i turned to see georg standing next to me, concern in his eyes.  
"i caught my boyfriend cheating on me, its no biggy" i admitted trying to curl a smile onto my quivering lips.  
"a beautiful girl like you doesn't deserve a guy like that if he's going to cheat on you, if you were my girlfriend i wouldn't look twice at another girl" he said smiling down at me. he wiped away my tears with his thumb still smiling at me. i blushed and looked down at my feet. "your ze birthday girl nein?" he asked.  
"yeah i am, some birthday" i said kicking the dirt.  
"you want me to make it better?" he asked a smirk now playing on his lips.  
"how could you make i-" i was cut off by soft lips on mine, warm hands cupping my face and gentle thumbs caressing my cheeks. i couldnt help but kiss back, there was just so much passion and lust in the kiss. we finally pulled away gasping for breath.  
"brianna, vill you be my girlfriend?" he asked moving his hands down to my curvatious hips.  
"of course" i said shaking my head in dibelife. he wrapped his arms tightly around my body as i did his neck and he kissed me once more with the same passion and lust the first time. he pulled away leaning his forehead on mine and whipered;  
"happy birthday liebe, i love you"  
"danke, i love you too" i whispered in return. i saw jay out of the corner of my eye. he looked red in the face and severly pissed off. georg turned to see who i was looking at. once he saw my ex he turned back to me and smiled.  
"how about we give him a show of what he's missing?" georg suggested. i gave an evil smile at jay and turned to georg tilting my head up to kiss him. jay stormed off out the party followed by the slut tip tapping in her high heels.  
three years later.  
"brianna liebe, im back from practice!" georg called into the home.  
"im in the kitchen!" i called back. skye, our baby girl, was running out the kitchen and straight to where georgs voice bellowed from.  
"daddy!" she called as he picked her up swinging her round and round.  
"miss me?" he asked her.  
"jah!" she answered, uncle billy has been teaching her german bless.  
"how much?" he asked skye as he walked into the kitchen.  
"tis much" she answered holding out her little arms as much as possible. i giggled lightly at how cute and innocent she was. her dark brown hair flowed in curls around her shoulders and her dark eyes lit up with joy when she heard one of the band members walk into the house.  
"missed you too" he said setting her down and sliding his arms around my waist.  
"i missed you"i said in a sweet voice.  
"good because i missed you loads!" he said picking me up and spinning round in circles as he kissed me. the kiss was enough to make me dizzy, let alone the spinning. he set me back on the ground and gazed into my eyes.  
this definetly was the best birthday present ever!  
~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~


	11. The Biggest Star Out Of Germany!

*MTV is playing on the tv, tokio hotel is waching from there tour bus. Leah, who is a huge german popstar -and up-n-coming- in the U.S.A is on*  
*tv*  
"So Leah, tell us, what's it like here in the U.S"? the host asked.  
"Yes!I enjoy it so much here,the people are so nice!And i am so happy that i have so many fans. Its like a dream,because rarely does a german singer make it here, and become so succesfull."  
"There has also been some German influence here, have you meet the band Tokio Hotel"?  
*tokio hotel point of view*  
The band members were all sitting at the table eating, and listing to the tv.  
Tom broke the silence,  
"Damn shes hot" he said as he slouched in his seat.  
The others just nodded in silence.  
*TV*  
"No, i have not meet them" she said  
Then giggled "But i would like to,they are look pretty nice and their music is just so wonderful!" the crowed laughed at this, and all of the TH fans screamed.  
"haha, even when there not here the girls still scream" the host said. " So leah, what would you say is diffrent about here and in Germany?"

"Hmm,thats hard to say...it just depends on where you go.I mean the people are the same. it just depends on the person" she said in her soft kind voice.  
*Tour Bus with TH*  
"She seems nice, we should schugle a day to meet her" Bill said, as he got up from the table to turn the TV off.  
"she'll be at the MTV awards we will most likley meet her there." Georg said as he went to grab a coke out of the frige...

"aye, almighty band member what do we have planed for the day" tom said sarcasticly to his twin  
Bill rolled his eyes at his brothers stupid remark, "mein Gott Tom, i dont know! look at the das Bumsen Calender!" 


	12. Everything Was Great

She was always her own person, and never let people get her down. I never knew what she would do next. Such small things she would do would alwyas brighten up my worst days...its been such a long time since ive seen her.  
Tokio Hotel has become so famous, and i am so proud! I have so many fans who love my music all over the world. Things move so fast, were in Germany for one day and the next were in france...or wherever were suppose to be. Stressed out about how i look. Having to becouscous of what i say. Having to discuse myself just to go out...dont get me wronge this is my dream! i am Bill Kaulitz lead singer of tokio hotel and i love my life...evething is just the way i want it to be!

 _I remember her smile, the way her eyes would sparkle when ever i came near her. her scent...mezmorizing. the touch of her baby soft hands clasped in mine as we walked together._  
And whats even better is that our band has been nominated for and awared in america! So now were getting ready to do a tour there!I am estatic,a two month tour to the states. What new expirences await me. How many adventrues the guys and i will have.I still can recall Tom "Time to meet the Amircan ladys"

 _I wonder if she thinks about me like i do her. i wonder if she has remeaind single like i have...I still remember our first kiss quick,shy and soft...after she hugged me for what seemed to be like years..._

Two weeks till we leave, we were told to relax, and let our crew take over and trust me, we did not aruge about that. we all needed to take time and relax because one look at us and you could tell that we were all a nervous wreak.  
 _...I remember her face when i told her i was moving. When she cried and all i could do was hold she asked why i told her our band need to move to the big city...by our recording studio._

 _Iremember when she tried to hold her sobs back and wished me luck...thats when i knew i loved her. thats when i knew i needed her alongside with me._

 _...And thats when my heart broke. Right after the luck part she kissed my lips and ended our relashonship._

 _Ijust stood there as she walked away from me...how was i so blind to not reliaze she 'was' my love at first sight..._

As i snaped back into reality i noticed a tear was rolling down my cheek.  
"Bill its been two years man, just let her go" my brother Tom said as he stood in my bedrooom doorway.  
"i-i just need to see her one last time...Tom will you drive me to her..please"  
He must have sensed how desperate i was because his usally cocky ass self just noded and grabbed his keys.  
Soon i was back in a very familiar town...all my childhood memoires...and my first love.  
"ill wait here" Tom said, as we pulled into _her_ drive way.  
knock knock knock. _Thump thump thump._ I thought for sure my heart would go in over drive...  
"one sec"i heard an angleic voice call out...  
"Bill..." she said almost as if she was not sure it was me. "w-what are you doing here"? she asked as her eyes were starting to fill with tears...  
"I miss you Anna,everyday since ive left ive thought about you.I shouldent have let you walk away from me! You hurt me! Things could have worked out with us" by now i was pouring out all my sadness and rage.  
"You just left me! Like it was nothing like all the things we done were nothing! Like i was...Nothing...Anna..You just left me...And i tried so may times to call you to hear your voice...I wote you so many letters hoping id get one in return...But i never did..."...by now i was on the verge of cryng. i was so hurt.  
"Bill please just list-"  
"NO ANNA! YOU JUST LISTEN,..the day you you said it was over i realized i loved you. that you were my soul mate...And i still love you"  
i looked up at her face and saw she was crying.  
"Im so sorry bill.."  
"Just look at me and tell me you dont love me..Then ill go away forever"  
"i-ii-i" she was sobbing  
"I love you bill kaulitz" and with that, i embraced her and kissed her passionately.  
Things will work this time around.


	13. Just To Be Happy

. And Andrea. The tree musketeers, as long as I can remember.

 _ **beep beep**_  
 _'Andrea liebe I was wondering if we could go out sat. night'_

Oh Bill. I couldent help but smile as I tead his text. Lately ive noticed how much hes texted me asking to just hang out.

' _sure..what time and what place do you want me to you guys?'_

I responded. Before I could set my phone, it vibrated.  
 _Beep beep_  
 _'guys? No andrea I meant just you and I'_

…I dident know how to respond to that. Why would he want it to be just us? Why dident he want tom to go? Its always 'us three' not 'them two'.

' _no tom?'_ I texted back- I know a little blunt but that's all that came to me.

 _Beep beep_  
 _'Retard! No tom! :]'_  
I couldent help but laugh at his response.

' _lol ok ok ;)'_

I sent a smile, but honestly-I was scared out of my mind.

Saterday came to soon. I was frekin out!  
Wait. Andrea stop this now. Its just bill kaulitz…your friend.  
I put on a pink dress with a black jacket and some converse. Straightend my hair and applied my make-up, the norm.

 _Beep beep_  
 _'get your short ass out side :D'_  
Bills text read.  
With one last glance in the mirror, I grabed my purse and went out.

"Hey Bill", I said as I hoped in his car "I got your text, and by the way im not short your just freakishly tall"  
He just kept looking forward and smiled….hes so adorable when he smiles…  
Wait, what! Andrea your doing it again.

We soon arrived at a high end resteruant…wich is odd…somethings up.  
Time passed and we just ate our food in slilence.  
"Bill, now tell really" I looked at him seriously " why the sudden urge to take me out to a place like this…alone?"

He was nervous,but why, whats going on?  
"Andrea, ive been wanting to tell you that-"  
 _ **beep beep**_  
 _'Aye mama wut u up to? wanna come over and watch a movie?'_  
I smiled to myself...Tom has the worst timing.  
"Who texted you?" Bill asked from across the table.  
"Tom" I said as i look at his scowlong face.  
"What did he want?" he said with a hint of venom.  
"He wants me to come over and watch a movie, sounds like fun,wanna come?" i winked and smiled at him, though that just seemed to piss him off more.  
"Bill is somethi-"  
"Are you ready to go" he cut me off as he rose from the table.  
"What's wrong?" I asked shocked with the way he was acting.  
"Andrea, for once i just wish that..you know what its not even worth it, lets just go."  
The car ride was horrible, i would just ask him a question and he would just nodd, or ignore me completely.  
Soon we were in front of there house,  
"Toms expecting you, im just dropping you off and going to the studio." He annouced with out even bothering to look my way.

"Bill, this isent fair," I started "why are you ignoringme?"

"Nien, you wanna know whats not fair-Trying to do somthing special for someone, only to get blowen off. All I was going to tell you was that I love you...But whatever." He said looking at me with hateful eyes.  
"Bill im so sorry, I lo-"  
"Andrea...please just get out" He said running a hand though his hair.  
Ouch. Yeah that hurt.  
"Right." Is all i managed to say as i got out, and wiped a tear.

"Hey Tom" i said i walked into there house.  
"Andrea!" he yelled and huged me tight, He grabbed my hhand and pulled me to the living room.  
"Whats up with Bill" he started "He texted me being all bicthy, and said he was dropping you off."

"I dont know" I lied and sat on the couch look down at my hands.  
Tom must have noticed how upset i was because he came over and pulled me on his lap and pressed play.

"Oh i forgot to mention that you look very sexy"

"Why thank you" I said without a glace in his direction.  
Tom always makes me feel beautiful. Weather its a compliment, or just the way he looks at me...I love the way his eyes sparkle when he looks at me.  
Wait,what?! Andrea your doing it again...Toms your friend...  
Say it with me, FRIEND.

"Andrea, I was meeaning to do something..." i could hear his smirk.

"And that was?"

"This." He pulled me into a deep kiss, one that i returned.

"I love you." he said as he pulled away.

My heart stoped.  
Bill.  
Tom.  
Both love,  
me?  
..."Tom do you think that you could take me home?

Before I knew it i was on my bed, dazed by the events that happend.  
 _ **Beep beep**_

' _Andrea-wow. i tell u i love you..and you go and kiss tom...wtf?! - Bill'_

 _ **beep beep**_

' _I miss But did Bill also say he luvs you? fuuuck that.-Tom'_

 _ **beep beep**_

' _Andrea am i just not good enough :[ -Bill'_

 _ **beep beep**_

' _uhhh hey im confused_ who do you love?...can u just pick! lol -Tom'  
STOP IT!  
I threw my phone acrossmy room and started to cry.  
I cried until there were no tears left.  
My clock read 2:45 am, sleep was out of the question. Im so confused...  
I love them both,really i do.

The Tokio Twins.  
They both have something special, something that make my heart go in over drive.

 _ **Beep beep**_

' _Hey liebe..I just want you to be happy. So as much as i wish you'd love me, if its tom you love, its tom i want you to be with -Bill'_

Oh,Bill...  
 _ **Beep beep**_

 _'Andrea your my bestie lol. and all i want is for you is to be happy...and if bill makes you happy...then i guess your going to have to stay with my bby bro -Tom'_

Oh,Tom...

I went to my bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror.  
Bill.  
Tom.  
Bill.  
Tom.  
I picked up my phone and dialed his number...  
"Hallo?"  
"Hey.."  
"Leibe..."  
"I love you, and only you, Bill"  
"Andrea...ilove you now and always" 


	14. Lets Dance

"Nyri" A male voice yelled from behind me. I turned around and saw A tall, pale, spiky black haired guy with a ton of makeup on. I then relized who it was.

" BILLY " I screamed as i jumped off of my couch and ran to give him a hug. " OMG why are you here. " i said as i looked up at him, what can i say he's like a freaking sky scraper.

" I'v been good, thanks for asking... any way someone keep on saying ' We Have To See NYRI '." he said facing Tom. My name is Nyri i am 17 and i have known the whole Tokio Hotel Band scence before they became famous. Karylle came running down my stairs only to trip down the last 5 when she saw Gustav and Georg standing in the door way. I started to laugh and then she gave me a glair as she shook there hands and left after that. Shes my best friend !

" Aww i knew you would miss me sooner or later " I said walking over to Tom giving him a hug. He just smiled and wrapped me in in a hug.

" Yup i just cant get enough of my Nyri" he said and then let me go.

" UM where is your own brother's hug. " Georg said laughin and i walked over to Georg and Gustav and gave them hugs. Georg was my older brother and i missed him so much when he was on tour. He knew that ihad a huge crush on Tom scence the first day that i knew him.

" Eh were going to a party later on you want to go with us. " Tom said walking into the kitchen.

" Ah sure, sounds like fun I get to DANCE" i screamed the last part and all of them laughed. I loved to dance no matter if i was Happy or depressed it was my hobby. Tom knew that well cause he's the one that taught me on my 10 birthday, that was also the day that i got my first kiss from him, i was 10 and he was 13.

" Sister, yoohoo Nyri you still there." Georg said in front of me waving his hand. I slapped them away " are you okay"

" yea just dozed off there for a minute. " i said as i got up, " when do you plan on leaving. "

" Uh around ten i guess" tom said getting back into the room with a bag of chips and a sun kiss.

" Hey that's mine" i said as i tryed to grab the sun kiss from him. I jumped but he was still to tall.

" Sorry your gona have to just give it to me. " he said holding it up with his left arm. i started to tickle his side and it came down as i grabbed it.

" Haha mine know sucker" i said as i ran.

" That's your job Nyri " he said as he chased me upstairs. I heard Georg yell at him for saying that, and said that if he lays a hand on his little sister he is going to chop of his 'man hood'. " I got you know" tom said as i ran into my room and shut the door as i locked it.

" yup you got me stumped. " i laughed as i walked and sat on my bed. He banged on the door and then it all stopped. I started to sip my drink as i logged onto my laptop. I sat there lising to random songs till my fat bulldog cugo came up to me and tried to jump on my lap but failed miserbaly. " poor Cujo your just a big dumpling arent you. " i said petting him and then i heard a laugh. I turned around to see Tom.

" how the fuck you get in here" i said as i sat Cujo down.

" Balcony " he said pointing to my balcony in the front of my house.

" Are you a phyco, cause any sane person would have just got anouther drink." i said as i stood up.

" I wanted to see you, you very bueatiful you know. " he said holding my hand. i didnt snatch it away and when he pulled me in i didnt even move away. His lips slowly lowered onto mine. A Minute later i open my eyes but we are still kissing and i looked at my computor, on the website it shown a picture of Tom kissing a girl and saying under neath ' What a MANWHORE '. I then pushed him away. " what was that for." he said.

i couldnt speak so i just pointed to the screen, he turned his head confussed and then turned back to me who was already at my door.

" That was a while ago. plus your diffrent " he said catching up to me.

" yea whatever" It has always been my dream to be with Tom but i dont want to be with him for one day and then be left alone the next morning. Im not like that.

* at the party *

I put on a pair of skinny jeans that i got for my birthday and a purple shirt that had Tokio Hotel all over it. Georg laughed when he saw it. The party was big and they were playing all of the songs that they sing. Some were as we walked in Tom Got lost along a bunch of plastic fake bimbo's. Bill was dancing with a bunch of peoples and Gustav and georg i lost a while ago. I saw a girl go for tom and he just stared at me. I turned around and started to talk to a random person.

" so you know The band of Tokio Hotel. " A guy said a little taller then me and had black hair.

" Yup, im perty close to Georg"

" Girlfriend"

" Nasty No, sister" i said and started to laugh he leaned down and started to kiss me i couldnt get him off no matter how hard i tried. Then out of no the guy fell down.

*tap - tap* I Turned around to see Tom for a split second before he kissed me again and then came up from it.

" Did you see that all those girls wanted me! I could have any of them and gone all the way but i picked you, your just not a fling your more then that to me. And plus i just kicked that guys Ass" he said pointing to the guy know on the floor out cold. I smiled at him, he is write he was gone for maby a minute and then he was right by my side the next and he did help me out... maby he wasnt as bad as i thought but... " Nyri i have loved you scence we were little I wanted you but i couldnt have you so i tried to find some one else but they did nothing for me,they didnt even come as close to my heart as you have. I cant take it no longer, Will you be my girlfriend" he said as he smiled down at me.

" yes " i said giving him a short but sweet kiss. I stepped back and starred at him. I pulled him down and said " lets dance, Tom" he smiled at me and took my hand. It urned to a slow song and i layed my head against toms chest.

" I love you Nyri"

" I love you too, Tom"


	15. I'll Take You Back

.jpg

My name is Chima Klein im 19, tall, red hair, brown eyes and girlfriend of Bill Kaulitz. Today is our one year anaversery and we are meeting up after his concert.

" I cant wait this will be super great" i said to my best friend Aylina Halle. I hopped off of my bed and ran to my closet. " What should i wear"

" This" she said pulling out a black mini dress. It was perfect, i picked up a pair of my high heels and grabbed the dress and ran to the bathroom. After getting dressed i put on some eyeliner and blush and then walked out to see Aylina dressed up to.

" You likey" Smiles wide.

" Lovey" she said as we jumped up togeather. " Okay so lets go to a new bar down town just tell him to meet you there plus he shouldnt be ready for the next hour. "

" Sounds great" i said picking up my purse and heading out the door.

* At the bar *

" OMG, thats right it's your anaversary... so what you gona give him." Klaus my friend said to me as he handed crytinton a beer. Both my friends for years.

" Well i think I want to move in with him so you know... I have no idea." we all laughed. Then i heard a famillar laugh as i looked were it was coming from i saw a tall spiky black haired guy locking lips with a slutty girl in a two piece dress. " I'll be back" i said getting up and the walking over to the guys and the girl. The two other guys were laughing, and i could tell they were both drunk. One had brown cornrows and the other had long brown hair.

" You should so fruck her, If you dont i will" Said Cornrows, I coughed and he turned around. It was Tom, bills manwhore of a brother. " Hey, Chima ... Oh Chima, Bill!" He said turning around and Georg fell off his set from laughing so hard. The slut looked over and smiled at me she had on a lot of make up and her boobs were falling out of her top.

" Oh, Hey baby.. this is kim... why you hear." Bill said kissing her neck. I just started to grinned my teeth.

" Well lets see im your girlfriend, I texted you saying lets meet her. and oh here" I said throughing a punch at the bitch kissing my man and she fell down and started to cry. I then through a punch a bill but he cought it. " I love you sooo much, Tom just keep on saying kiss her and i had like 4 beers and ... OH DID I TELL YOU I LOOOOOVVVEE YOU!" Bill said pulling me into a kiss. I just started to cry more. I then pushed away.

" No bill, were over i dont want to here from you again." I said and then ran out of the door only to be blinded by bright lights and then it all went blank.

* Hospital 4 days later *

" Oh my god my head is killing me." i said sitting up and looking around the unfimilliar room, then some one walked in.

" Honey, Ah your awake, okay well lets see im just gona catch you up okay well you got hit by a car but wasnt really hurt, then we brought you here and bill keep on saying he wanted to see you but he had to go home again and then we took some test and found out your pregent and know your awake" The nurse said and every thing was coming back to me.

" Can you make sure that bill doesnt come in, or tom and georg only Gustav" I said grabbing the water and thought about it again. Spitting out my water i screamed " Pregent!" She just shook her head.

" The baby is okay though, You are 3 months and will be expecting in about 5 months" i just shook my head and took the covers and pulled them over my head. I know im gona keep the baby, and that is all i know.

*4 and a half months later *

" Oh my god you have gotten so big." Aylina said as i sat down.

" Yea i know, So you ran into bill " She shook her head. we have been hanging out a ton, she ran into bill yesturday and told him i was pregnat. And within the last 24 hours i have got about 50 missed calls from him. I mean he has been calling me ever scence the insident but this is a new, he would call only 2 times every 3 days know it is just driving me crazy.

" so what is it have you gave in yet."

" nope, im waiting ... oh did i tell you i got a crib and some extra stuff that is needed like the dipers and bottles. " I just smiled and then saw the time " oh crap i need to go home, bye bye" i said giving her a hug and then going.

" Byzz"

* in drive way *

I pulled into my drive way and grabbed the mail. one didnt say any thing so i opened it.

Chima,

I love you so much and i am so sorry please forgive me.

P.S = why didnt you tell me about the baby

Love always,

Billie

I just cryed a little as i patted my belly. " He was a good guy" i said to my baby hoping that it could hear. I walked up to the steps and put my key in the door, but then i heared something, a bang.

I opened the door and pulled out a bottle of pepper spray that i had just in case. I walked around but every thing seemed fine. I walked into my room and there was a big teddy bear with a flower in it. Then it followed to the babys room next to mine. I opened the door and there stood my 6 foot 2 in. baby's daddy. He smiled and gasped when he saw my stomack.

" Yes it is yours you were my one and only Bill, only if i could say the same for you" i said as he grabbed my hands lightly and pulled me to him.

" I love you so much, i didnt do any thing with her other then kiss and i am so sorry. Tom had filled my coke with some stuff that made me go weird. He didnt mean for this to happen though, and the last past 4 and a half months have been killing me. And when i found out that you were pregnat i swear i about died from happiness, and not cause there is going to be a little bill running around." he said but i stopped him.

" Or billina" i said laughing as he laughed with me.

" Or Billina, but cause I know that in that baby is you and i love you." i looked up at him with tears falling down both of our eyes. I pulled him down and gave him a kiss.

" I love you too"

" Does this mean im your billie again." he said kissing my forhead.

" Ill take you back, bill. Cause i love you and this baby." I said kissing him on his lips again. Then he broung me into a hug and then i felt a leak. " uhh Bill, I think Bill-ina is ready to meet its mommy and daddy." Bill looked down and started to freak and then bent down to my stomack.

" I love you, little baby * came back up * And i love you know lets go. " he said grabbing a bag i laid out and we were off.

* after 23 hours in labor and baby is born *

" Oh, Chima he looks just like ... well Bill " My friends laughed at this. Tom came to me and smiled.

" Im so sorry for what i did"

" I forgive you, and i think that Sabashion does to." I said looking down to my little black haired brown eyed baby boy. Bill walked up to me and picked up Sabashion.

" Our Baby boy, Sabashion and his bueatiful mother Chima." Bill said bending down and kissed my forhead. Some one took a picture and i smiled as i looked at him.

" Ill always take you back, Bill" i said taking back Sabashion.


	16. You're Mine

I drove up my best friend Kate's drive way with cars on both sides of the road. Im Sammiee 17 years old with a bob cut brown hair and dark brown eyes. Kate forced me to come here cause she had a suprise for me. I got out of my car and locked the doors and then walked to the door and rung the door bell.  
" Sammiee there you are ! " Kate screams as I walked into her house with people here and there dancing to the music. " Guess what"  
" What " I said as i grabbed some chips from the bowl.  
" Eww do you know how many calories are in that" She said and then shook her head " Any way some of my old friends are here, and there your favortie band " I looked at her and then screamed.  
" Tokio Hotel " she laughed and grabbed my hand. I was coughing on my chip and just thinking that Tom Kaulitz is in the same house as me." Yout okay" she said pushing me down onto the couch. I shook my head yes. " Good cause there they are.. Hey guys i would like you to meet my friend Sammiee. Sammiee you already know the guys." she said pointing back and forth between them and me.  
" Yea hi" I said shaking all there hands.  
" Lets play a Game! " Bill screamed jumping down on the seat next to me.  
" Ja lets play 7 minutes in heaven " Tom said giving me a wink.  
"That sounds fun, here put your stuff in here " Kate said talking Toms hat and the guys put there stuff in as other girls gathered around the table. " Okay this is 7 minutes in heaven and you my friend, Sammiee are going first" Says my friend Kate. I turn to her a just stare.  
" WHAT" i said and she gave me toms hat. I put my hand in and shoved around the stuff till i pulled out... a Guitar pick. " Which guitar boys is this" i said putting up the black and orange pick.  
" Me " Said a shy guys voice from behind me, i looked behind me to see Tom. But why is he shy he is the one that picked this game.  
" Cool " i said getting up and walking into the closet with him behind me. The door shut and Kate screamed. ' 7 minutes starting know ' I stood at one end and Tom stood at the other.  
" We dont have to do any thing if you dont want we can just tal..." I said till Tom smaked his lips down onto mine. We were in a deep make out sesion for about most of the time till Tom lifted his head and started to shake it. " Wh... What is wrong " i said out of breath.  
" I jus..." He started but then the door opened and he was out of there before Kate could say any thing.  
" What happened? " She asked confussed.  
" I honestly dont know " i said sitting down back in my spot. Tom sat far from me and just looked down the rest of the time. He disapered after Bill and Kate went in.  
" So what happened between you and Tom" Said Georg. I told him what happened and he just shook his head. " I can honestly say that Tom has never been that way before. he would have them up in bed right know usally" we talked for a while till it hit 12:30.  
" Hey Gustav have you seen Tom " I said walking up to him as Georg went to talk to another girl.  
" No after you guys got out he looked diffrent, not all horny and perverted like normal." I just laughed and Gustav joined in. But then i stopped.  
" What if he is gone cause he doesnt want to see me" i said looking around for Kate to talk to her but i couldnt find her. " Where is Kate" Gustav just shrugged his shoulders and walked off. The thought of Tom not wanting to even look at me killed me. I grabbed my jacket and keys and walked out side.  
" Leaving so soon " A voice said from behind me. I froze. " I saw you talking to Georg you too look good togeather" I turned around to see tom with his face red and looking down. " There is something about you Sammiee, I feel diffrent around you and it freaked me out, that is what i tried to tell you in the closet but then i just needed to get out of there. I under stand though if you like Georg more then me though" he said looking up at me with a sad look.  
" No, I could never like him more. Know call me crazy but i like you a lot and i felt something when we kissed." i said and he gave me a smile.  
" well i dont like you Sammiee" He said with a evil grin. I couldnt believe he just said that to me, i turned around about to cry and he grabbed my hand and pulled me back bringing me into a hug. " I love you" He said, i looked up to him and smiled. I gave him a kiss.  
" I love you too" I said  
" will you be mine " he asked and i kissed him sweetly. " Ill take that as a yes" i laughed. He broung me into anouther passinot kiss. Then he mouthed against my lips  
" Your Mine" I let go and smiled at him with that being said.  
" And no one elses " we kissed as all the others left the party and stood there like that till it was about 2 in the moring.  
" I love you and always will cause your mine and im yours forever" He said walking me to my car and giving me one last kiss.  
" Forever and ever"


	17. It All Started Here

I sat on my couch, still in disbelief of what the magazine said on it.  
Tom Kaulitz heading back home with band members from _Tokio Hotel_ ... But why?  
That was my question, Tom and Bill both had a great life with amazing friends and there going to be wasting a year of their life coming home. I shook my head, I couldnt take this all in at one. I stood up and walked to my room to lazy to shut the door I just fell on my bed. As my eyes shut only image in my head was of Tom, but not the Tom now ... The one i fell in love with.  
 _I layed down in the center of the High School gym. It was quiet and dark, the only sound that I could hear were from me, my silent crys and sniffiling. The ceiling had a paw print of a dog, just like our mascot._  
 _"Aliza" Tom said walking into the gym, He was my best friend and I could always trust him._  
 _" Tom?" I said confussed on so many levels. " How did you find me"_  
 _" Your parents called me and asked if you were over at my house, when i told your mother no she broke down into tears. She told me that you have been gone scence early this morning... Why?" He said laying down next to me and staired me in the eyes._  
 _" Im not going to tell you, then you will just say i told you so and laugh in my face" I said looking back to the ceiling._  
 _" So im guessing that you and that guy broke up then" He said not laughing like i thought that he would._  
 _" Yea, he was cheating on me with someone else... he came up to me and was like ' hey, im sorry but were through... i love someone else'. and after i pleaded to him to tell me who he just left mestanding there" I said letting another tear fall down my face, i had been dating a guy name Liam for almost a year._  
 _" Its okay" He said grabbing my hand and holding it. A shock had ran through my body but i liked it. I turned my head to see Tom looking at me still. " He doesnt deserve you"Tom said getting closer, I staired at him for a split second and then our lips came togeather and we kissed for what seemed like forever but was most likely just a minute or two._  
 _" Hey! you kids get out of here before i call the cops" The Janitor said and we stood up and ran out the door to the parking lot. I came to my car and his was right next to me. I looked at him but he seemed a little sad, when he noticed me staring he had smiled at me and pulled me into another kiss.I then got a text._  
 _" Oh my god, it eleven im going to be in so much trouble." I said looking at my phone and then grabbed my keys._  
 _" Wait Aliza, I got to tell you something" Tom said holding me back._  
 _" Can it wait, Tom. Im going to be in so much trouble" I said pulling away and unlocking my door._  
 _" I guess" Tom said looking at me sad. I gave him a peck on the lips and then drove off._  
 _If I knew that was the last time I would see Tom I wouldnt have left. I would listen to what he had to say and i would have stayed._  
I sat up not being able to go to sleep only thinking of Tom and the last time i seen him. I shot up and ran to my door, grabbing my keys and shoes i ran out of my house shutting the door behind me and gone to my car. I had to go back.  
I made it to my old High School in about 30 minutes, It was the middle of summer so there was going to be no one their of corse but one of the teachers recognized me and let me in. I went strait to the gym hoping to see him, like the feeling was telling me that i would.  
I came up to the door of the gym, before i went in i took a deep breath. I swung open the door only to find a basket ball sitting in the middle of the room... were i once layed. My smile dropped and i walked over to it. I picked It up and started to dribble it as i walked to a goal ( IDK i dont play any sports so stay with me here lol) and shot it.  
" Hey thats my ball" Said a voice i turned around to be facing a dark haired 6'2 Bill Kaulitz. " Aliza! you havent changed a bit, still 5'6 arnt you" He said taking me into a hug and spining me around.  
" Im almost positive that she was 5'7... i like your hair the orange redish color matches you" Said another voice. I turned around to be facing Tom, he just looked down at me and smile.  
" Yea im 5'7" I said and bill took the ball.  
" Well looks like you guys are going to have a deep conversation so im just going to go running down the hall playing with this ball" He said as he ran out the door. I looked back to Tom and then looked down.  
" Im sorry i never told you that i was leaving, i tryed i really did" He said i looked over to the spot were we once layed. I walked over to it and layed down again.  
" Its okay you went to go get famous, meet some girls and do what you want to do" I said and he layed down next to me.  
" I didnt find no girls, none of them were good enough"  
" Why not"  
" Cause they werent you" I looked over to him confussed and he just continued " Aliza i have loved you scence i first layed eyes on you. then you started to date that one guy and thats when the band started to get big. The day that you guys broke up i came to tell you that i was going to go on tour, i had planed on coming back but then i heard that you found someone else and ... and i couldnt take it" I was trying to take it all in at once.  
" I never dated any body for the first year you were gone, me and laim then got back togeather but i couldnt stop thinking about you so it was over quicker then when it started." I said and looked at him, he pulled me to him and we started to kiss.  
" Im never going to leave you again" Tom said in the kiss and i smiled.  
" Good" i said and then kissed him back. I heard Bill running down the halls.  
" Get back here you little twerp" yelled some one, im guessing bill was in trouble and then he yelled " Hey get out of the gym before i call the cops " We looked up to see the same old janitor running past us.  
" You will never get my ball" Bill Screamed and we laughed.  
This is were it had started and i wouldnt change it for the world


	18. This Wasn't A Mix Up

Georg's P.O.V  
"Come on georg you cant stand here on stage forever" Tom whispered as we walked off stage. I could have swarn that i just saw the girl of my dreams scream my name. But then again there is a lot of girls screaming my name out there.  
" Yea, lets go" I said carring my guitar with me off the stage with Tom beside me and Gustav and Bill in front already behind the curtains.  
" Georg what was that" Gustav said as I handed one of the stage guys my guitar and they walked off over to the other instrumets laying it down in my new leather case with Tokio Hotel writen on the top of it in Silver sharpy and sighed by all of us.  
" Nothing, i just saw a girl that screamed my name and she caught my attention. But i lost her before i could actully see her" I said grabbing the bottle of water from Bills hands and taking a drink of it.  
" HEY! you have to buy me a pack of gummy bears now!" Bill screamed running off to the dressing room.  
" He doesnt need any more sugars" Tom said walking along side of me and i just laughed.  
" You may be right, but your the one having to share a hotel room with him tonight so what do i care" I said laughing as i walked into the dressing room over to the side were i pulled out a new outfit.  
" Hey lets go to a club" Tom said. No matter how much i just wanted to go back to the hotel and rest but i cant say no, nobody can when Tom has his mind set to something.  
" Sure why not" Gustav said grabbing his wallet then walked out of the room with the others leaving me behind. I grab my water and start to head for the door right when i remember that i forgot my phone on the table, as soon as i grabbed it I see a girl running down the hall laughing, which made me laugh.  
" Dude are you coming or what" Gustav said peeking his head out from the dressing room door. I look at him and then turn back to the hall way, but the girl is gone.  
" Sorry, I've just been really distracted all day" I said walking into the room and grabbing a new outfit to switch into.  
After we were already we headed out to the Club of Toms chose.  
~ At club~  
"Come on! Lets dance" Bill said pulling Gustav off onto the dance floor that happened to be playing one of our songs.  
Gustav turn around looking at us with pitty and begging for help, but then he was lost in the crowd. I look around and diside that i wanted a drink but went to Tom.  
Tom was sitting next to a red haired girl that seemed to be flirting big time with him.  
" Tom, im gona get a drink you want some thing?" I asked him and he looked up laughing.  
" Yea get me a beer and My lovely lady friend a shot of Vodka" He said pointing at the red head. I just nodded and turned around.  
" Wait get 2 shots, my friend will be coming back from the bath room soon and she will want a drink" she said and i just went along.  
I went to the bar that wasnt that filled suprisingly, there were a couple of guys and one girl at the end of the girl looked fimiliar...  
" What can i get you sir... Hey your Georg from TH!" He said but i shushed him.  
"Yea hi, can i get two beers and two shots of vodka" I said and he nodded with a huge smile. The girl that was next to me started to cough on her beer.  
"Oh hey you okay" I said turning to her and patting her back trying to keep her from tumbiling over. She looked up to me and it hit me. She was the girl that screamed my name in the audiance.  
" Sorry... Th.. Thank you" She said finally catching her breath.  
" Here you go" The bar tender said and just stood there staring at me. " Sooo, are you dating anybody" The girl started to laugh and i was in shock.  
" Actually im his Girlfriend, sorry i know that we dont seem like it but ... well we are" The girl said and i looked at her and she stared at me with a big smile and then winked.  
" Ohh, i got to go take some orders" The bartends said and then left. As soon as he was gone we started to burst out laughing.  
" Oh Oh wow thank you, you saved me from him" I said and she just smiled.  
" Well you saved me from myself so it was only fair" She said looking down and then back to her empty beer bottle. " Umma'ma can you get me a Cranberry Martiny (SP)" She said to the girl bartender.  
" Sure, is there anything you would want" she asked and i thought about it, a way to stay longer.  
" Umm yea, can you get me a Bloody Mary" I said and she nodded her head and went along making them.  
" You already have 4 drinks... are you a alcoholic?" She asked and i just laughed.  
" No these are for my friend tom and his date for the night and her friend" I said looking over at them who were laughing and kissing " It doesnt look like her friend is back yet though"  
" Ohh well..." She started but then was cut off.  
" Here you guys go" The girl said putting the drinks down and then walked off. I grabbed one of them and tryed it.  
" EWw, What is this" I said looking at the drink. " It taste salty" i said sticking my toung out. She just laughed.  
" THat is because it is mine" She said and was about to take it but then was stopped.  
" Jessica! There you are what have yo... Oh hey you met Georg, Toms friend. Georg, Jessica is like your biggest fan ever!" The red head date of Toms said and I turned to the girl, Jessica and she was a bright pink.  
Tom looked at us and smiled " So what was taking so long with the drinks"  
" Nothing, i just wanted to talk to Jessica"  
" Yea, plus we must had have a mix up with drinks" She said taking her drink away from me and taking a sip as she stared at me.  
" Lets dance Tom" The girl said dragging Tom to the dance floor.  
I look to Jessica and she laughs really quick.  
" Sorry about that, but i am a fan i just saw your concert"  
" I know, i think i saw you" I said and she smiled, " Would you like t" I started but then was cut off my a big guy standing between us.  
" Jess, hey you want to dance" The guy said and she looked like she needed help. I tapped him on the shoulder and he looked at me " What?"  
" There must had been a mix up"  
" What?" He said confused  
" Jessica would you like to be my date for tonight.. and tommorow... and for a long time" I said and she jumped out of her set onto me.  
" Yes!" she said and then leand in kissing me.  
I look at the guy and laughed. " Sorry "  
We walked out onto the dance floor andI smiled at me. " What"  
" This wasn't a mix up" I told her and she just laughed.


	19. Best Friends

Best friends. That's what we were. Since eighth grade. Me and breann.  
And Sarah. Today, we were graduating! But Sarah was still in  
highschool, so she wasnt. Oh god, I could see my life after  
highschool. Lets just say it was greatly improved.  
"bre! This is it!"  
"I know! We get our diplomas, then we're outta here"  
****after the ceremony****  
"Breann, Lauryn, can we talk to you?"  
I turned, and called to Bre  
"Breann! Our parents want to talk to us!"  
"coming!"  
Breann walked away from mr. Michaels, our history teacher.  
"yes?"  
My mom smiled.  
"Lauryn, Breann, we have a suprise for you. It was difficult, but we  
decided this would be the best course of action."  
"what would?" Breann asked  
"we know that you two wanted to live in germany so... We applied you  
for a college in Germany. It's a fine arts college in Oberhausen. You  
were accepted. Breann, you got in for strings, and Lauryn for acting.  
Full scholarship."  
"... You did what...? You didn't!"  
"we did. If you want to go, we have the plane tickets reserved."  
"I'd love to go!" we screamed simultaneously. Our parents laughed,  
handing over our iteneraries.  
"oh," breann's mom pulled put a sheet of paper,"here is a list of all  
the things you will need, from dorm decorations, to school books."  
"thanks mom." Breann said, taking the paper.  
*****at the airport in Oberhausen****  
"oh God breann! We are actually doing this!"  
"I know! Oh my, I never imagined my parents would do this... It's  
incredible"  
*****sometime later*****  
over the next couple weeks, we moved into our dorm, and got settled.  
We painted, and decorated our room, Bre/Lauryn style. It was perfect.  
We even went to a Tokio Hotel concert.  
The first thing Breann did when she got there was get her nose peirced.  
Now, I wanted to get a tattoo. Breann said somewhere easily covered  
up, so my upper thigh. I was really nervous, but Bre told me not to  
worry. She couldn't go with me though. She had a cello lesson.  
So here I was, sitting in line, waiting to get my tattoo.  
*DING*  
I turned at the sound of the door bell. That thing had been going off  
all day, every time someone walked in...  
But the person walking in was different. He wasn't the average guy/  
girl wanting a 'mom' tattoo. Oh god. It was strify. Of the band Cinema  
Bizarre. Oh shiza. He looked at me, a confused expression on his face  
"uhm, sorry to bother you, but do I know you? You seem familiar..."  
"no, you don't. I've never met you, Strify"  
"you know my name...?"  
"yeah. I know who you are. Lead singer of Cinema Bizarre"  
"oh! I always love meeting fans when I'm not schedualed to"  
And that was it. We started talking. About anything and everything. We  
got our tattoos together. And, at the end of all of it, he asked me  
for my number.  
"what for?"  
"Id like you too meet the guys"  
"can I bring a friend?"  
"as long as she's not super eccentric, sure" he said, smiling.  
"cool. Talk to you soon then"  
When I got home, I told Bre everything. And she wished, even more,  
that she had skipped her cello lesson.  
So we met the guys. And we became really close friends. Strify bieng  
the closest. He was my best guy friend.  
So, when his friend Jackson broke up with me, he invited me over for a  
cheerup marathon of lord of the rings and Harry potter.  
But I was still hung up on Jackson. So strify kept trying to cheer me  
up. And that's how I met THEM.  
"Lauryn, let's go out."  
"no"  
"aw, come on Lauryn" kiro whined.  
"I love all of you, but no. Not one of you can convince me to go out"  
Yu rolled his eyes. "your no fun since Jackson broke up with you"  
Strify glared at Yu. "Lauryn, it'll do you good to go out and have a  
good time. Forget that ass who broke up with you"  
"strify, that's really sweet, but I can't. Breann and I will stay here  
and watch a movie or two. You guys go."  
"or stay." Breann came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of popcorn  
and some soda. "whichever you want to do"  
Yu turned to strify. "what Lauryn really needs is a Romeo"  
They all turned to look at Romeo, who was busy eating a handful if  
popcorn.  
"what?"  
Shin looked meaningfully over at me.  
"Romeo, Romeo, where art thou Romeo?" kiro intoned.  
"...what are you saying...?" Romeo questioned  
At that moment, the doorbell rang.  
I jumped, having zoned out of their conversation.  
"I'll get it!" Yu said, going to the door.  
"hey guys! Where's georg?"  
"he had a big date with Christina. Couldn't miss it."  
"ahhh... Alright. Come on in, the girls are watching some movie, and  
we are thinking of going out"  
Breann and I leaned out, trying to see who the owner if tge voice was.  
I recognized the voice, but I couldn't place it.  
"oh, hey guys!" strify said, suprised.  
That's when I saw them. And I felt it. The blush. The one that starts  
in your toes and works it's way up to your face. Why did I have the  
blush? Because the three guys that came around the corner where Tom,  
Gustav, and HIM. Bill Kaulitz. The guy I was convinced i'd marry. I'd  
felt that way since eighth grade, when Breann got me into Tokio Hotel.  
And he was here. Oh god...  
"bill, Tom, gustav, you know the guys"  
"yes, but we don't know those beautiful creatures" Tom said  
"oh, right. Bill, Tom, Gustav, this is Lauryn and Breann. Breann,  
Lauryn, this is Bill, Gustav and Tom"  
"hey" we said  
"hi" Bill replied  
"hello ladies" Tom said  
Gustav waved.  
I couldn't look at bill. There was no way. I just... I looked up. He  
was staring at me. Oh Jesus...  
"you know, I think we could just stay here and watch the movie with  
Breann and Lauryn..." kiro said tentatively  
"what movie?" Tom asked  
"the princess bride" Yu answered. Romeo made a face.  
"I love that movie!" Bill said loudly.  
Breann and I giggled.  
"well, what do you think? Shall we vote?" strify asked. The group  
nodded their agreement.  
"all those for staying, raise your hand"  
Bill, Lauryn, Breann, Strify, Kiro, Shin, and Tom raised their hands.  
"all those for going out, raise your hands"  
Yu and Romeo raised their hands.  
"ok then." strify said, "yu and Romeo can just go out by themselves.  
We will watch the movie."  
"wait..."  
"yes Breann?"  
"Gustav didn't vote"  
We all looked at Gustav.  
He shrugged. "I didn't care what we did"  
Breann laughed quietly. I knew she was thinking 'that's my Gustav'  
"ok then, Strify and Tom, make popcorn. Shin, get drinks."  
Off they went, shin grumbling about having to do everything...  
So, after popcorn was made, drinks handed out, and skittles  
distributed, we all settled down for tge movie. Strify, shin, kiro,  
and Romeo ended up in chairs. Breann and gustav ended up on the  
loveseat. And I was stuck in between bill and Tom. Next to Tom was Yu.  
I knew tonight was going to be an interesting night.  
Bill leaned over and whispered in my ear "have you seen this movie?"  
I smiled "yes bill, I have. It's absolutly amazing"  
Bill nodded, about to say something else when Yu said loudly "hey you  
two, keep it down. No flirting during the movie" He and Tom started  
laughing, both of them full aware that they were going to flirt with us.  
I felt my cheeks burn. If only bill had been flirting with me...  
****54 minutes later****  
I don't know what made me do it. Maybe i was PMS'ing, maybe it was  
because i was slightly depressed, or maybe it was the fact that Bill  
was there. I don't know. But, when westly was killed by prince  
humperdink, I cried. Bawled. And then I felt stupid. Everyone probably  
thought I was pathetic.  
I looked up. Bill was crying too. Aw... He looked at me and smiled.  
"want to get out of here?" he asked  
I nodded, standing. I looked over at Bre, to see she was snuggled up  
against Gustav, half asleep. Gustav was stroking her hair gently.  
"Lauryn, come on" Bill whispered  
"sorry"  
We walked out of The Guy's flat, and into the stairs, then out the door.  
"holy- it's freezing" I said  
"it's not that bad" Bill answered  
"hmph..."  
I glanced at him. He was really tall. I had a sudden wish that I was  
that tall. But then I remembered that Bill LIKED girls shorter than he  
was.  
"it's pretty, isn't it?" bill asked, looking at the sky  
I nodded in agreement. The German sky was so much clearer than my  
American sky.  
"bill?"  
"yes?"  
"how's the air up there?"  
"Lauryn!"  
"what?" I asked innocently  
"I'm not THAT tall"  
"yes you are, mr skyscraper"  
He laughed causing me to laugh. Right now, nobody could make me laugh  
for me being depressed and all, except him, and that's why I like  
Bill. He's so easy to talk to and just seems...perfect. I would say  
perfect for me, but I can't have him, I just met him. But, if I could  
get what I want, I'd just kiss him and make him mine now. And then  
tell him he has perfect eyes. I've always wanted to do that.  
I watched him walk over to a bench situated under a couple of trees.  
He motioned me over, so, of course, I went.  
We sat side by side, looking anywhere but at each other. Suddenly Bill  
asked "Lauryn, do you know any german cuss words?"  
"one, why?"  
"just wondering. What is the word?"  
"I'm not going to just SAY it. I'd have to be given reason to say it"  
"ok..."  
We sat in silence once more.  
I couldn't help but think about how much I wanted to tell him he was  
sexy. Or beautiful. Or perfect. I just wanted to let him know I wanted  
him. That I wanted to-  
"Lauryn, can I tell you something?"  
"sure Billa"  
He motioned for me to come closer. I leaned in. In one quick movement,  
he grabbed my chin, and twisted my head, bringing his lips to meet  
mine. I was in such shock that I pulled away  
"shiza" I breathed  
He smiled. "that's the cuss word? The way you say it is so cute"  
I glared at him. "I could be offended"  
"well don't be"  
I continued glaring.  
"look, I'm sorry ok? Please accept my apology"  
I kissed him in reply. And we kept kissing...  
"Lauryn!"  
I jumped. Then let out a sigh of releif. It was just breann. I noticed  
she was STILL cozied up to Gustav. He had his arm wrapped around her.  
"are you and bill making out?" she asked in a fake shocked voice  
"yes, and you know it!"  
She laughed "good" with that, she went inside. Behind her, Tom and  
Strify poked their heads out.  
"aw! Lauryn found her Romeo!"  
"go away Strify!"  
He ducked his head, going inside  
Tom stood there for a second, looking dissapointed. Then he sighed and  
said "good job little brother. She's really hot"  
"shut up Tom!" we both yelled.  
He chuckled and went inside  
"so" bill said  
"so...?" I asked  
He laughed "so. Do you want to be my girlfriend?"  
"yes!" I squealed, causing him to laugh some more.  
"wait..." I hesitated  
"what?"  
"does Tom have a girlfriend?"  
"no, why?"  
"can I set him up with a friend?"  
"sure..."  
"ok great!"  
He smiled, leaning in to kiss me. This was the perfect day :) 


	20. Its Easy To Say That, Youre A Rockstar

"Frankie!" I called upstairs to my best friend. Our first day in Germany, and of course, he's sleeping in. "FRANKIE!" I stomped up the wooden steps of the tiny apartment we were renting for the summer. We decided to have a European vacation, just the two of us, but he wasn't making it any fun by sleeping and doing nothing.

"Not NOW, Bri!" He yelled back. I slammed open the door to his room to see him wrestling the covers, trying to get out. I laughed at his pathetic attempts, and eventually went over to help him.

"You know, the stereotype of gay is weak, but I never thought I would be pinned down by a blanket." I laughed at him as he got up and put his 'Don't Hate Me 'Cuz I'm Hot' shirt on and his washed out jeans. The one thing I love about having a gay best friend: You're not uncomfortable around them.

"So, where to on our first day in Germany?" Frankie shook his head to signify he had no idea, his shaggy, dirty blond hair falling in his face. His hazel eyes peered at me, as if I had the answer. "I wish the concert was tonight." I said, breaking the silence and puffing out my already full lips into a pout.

"No, you don't." Frankie said.

"How do you know I don't?" I said skeptically, awaiting his reply.

"Because I know you, and you like suspense, and you really want to get fully prepared to see Georg Listing!" He put emphasis on the name Georg Listing. Georg was the bassist for Tokio Hotel, which was Frankie and I's favorite band. Okay, so the main reason we came to Germany was to see them perform. But why not? Besides, as long as I saw Georg, I was happy.

"Shut up!" I giggled, throwing a pillow at him. "I bet you want to, too." Frankie laughed at me.

"No way!" he said. "You know I'm saving myself for Alec Baldwin."

"Dude, isn't he married? And straight?" Frankie looked up at the sky, as if praying those two facts weren't so.

"Anyway Bri," he said looking back. "Being your best friend, I must say you are looking really hot."

"Okay, you aren't bi now, right?" Frankie laughed.

"No. It's just-from the male perspective who isn't gay, you're always hot." I blushed, red circles highlighting my tanned face.

"Well, thank you." I said modestly. "Let's hope Georg thinks so."

"Oh, he will." At that moment, Frankie pulled something out of his pocket. "Happy early birthday, Brianna!"

"OH. MY. GOD!" I grabbed the item in his hand and pulled him into a huge hug. "BACKSTAGE PASSES TO TOKIO HOTEL! FOR WHEN?"

"Tonight!" Frankie said.

"OH MY GOD!" I screamed again. I was ecstatic. This was my chance to really see Georg Listing, and Tokio Hotel! "I can't believe you did this Frankie! The tickets must have cost you a fortune!"

"Actually, they were free." he said. Now he looked down at the floor. "I met someone Bri." I grinned again.

"Who? Is he cute? Tell me!" I lifted his head. "You can tell me anything."

"Okay! So, he helped build the stage that they were performing at, he asked me if I liked the band, I said sure, they're awesome, I told him about you, he said he was gay, we went out once, he pulled a few strings, and BAM! Now, we are going to see the backstage before the concert!"

"This is amazing! I have to pick out an outfit..."

"I'll help you-"

"That's okay, I want it to be a surprise!" At that moment, as I entered my closet and looked through my mostly Wet Seal clothes, I knew my life had changed. It was almost a sense of gratitude-something inside me could tell that tonight, something was going to be different. Forever.

 _Turn around, I am here_

 _If you want it's me you see,_

 _doesn't count,_

 _far or near,_

 _I can hold you when you reach for me._

"Bri, are you ready to go?" Frankie called upstairs to me. It was 8:00. Time to go and meet Tokio Hotel. I would usually be worried about Tom or Bill-they are both real flirts. But this time, both of them have girlfriends, and I don't worry about Gustav at all. All I wanted, really, was Georg.

I walked downstairs, by black multi-strap stilettos clicking behind me. My black skinny jeans and purple low cut tee shirt with black leather belt matched perfectly along with my shimmering silver necklace and black leaf earrings. This was my sexiest outfit that I could find, although if Frankie looked, he would've found something even more revealing.

"Never did I think I would take more time to get dressed then you, Frankie." We laughed as we walked out the door to the car. It took a maximum of fifteen minutes to get to the arena where they were performing, and another five to show security that we had passes to see them. When we finally walked through the doors, the four people I wanted to see most were standing there and waiting for us.

"Hey," Bill said to me. I had no response. "Do you speak English?" he asked.

"She does," Frankie said. "She just loves you guys. We're both huge fans. I'm Frankie, and this is Brianna."

"Danke, that means a lot to us all." That was Tom. He had his arms around the waist of a really tall, pretty blonde girl with a perfect face. Gustav was smiling, but said nothing. Bill was more talkative, saying how much he enjoyed talking to fans, and how he was looking forward to meeting us too. Frankie always spoke for me, saying the feelings were mutual. But I couldn't take my eyes off of Georg the entire time I was there. I could feel his eyes boring into me every second, and I couldn't stop looking at him. It was uncomfortable...but it also felt right. Finally, I spoke.

"I played bass...when I was younger. Really younger. Like, I-um. Young. Not for a while." Georg laughed.

"That's really cool." He tucked his long, gorgeous brown hair behind his ear. "Do you play any other instruments?"

"Right now? Um, no...I-no." I laughed with him this time, stuttering on every word I said. But he was calm, and that made me feel better.

"Could I talk to you for a minute, Brianna?" Georg said. I nodded my head like an idiot, my long dark brown curls bouncing as I did so. I stood up and followed him into the closet where they kept all of the stage equipment.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" he asked me. I felt myself blush, because I knew that that was exactly what I had felt as soon as I walked through the doors to the arena and saw him.

"Well...yes, I do."

"And you believe it could happen to anyone?" His thick German accent was full of lust, but I forced myself to answer his question and try to ignore it.

"Yes, I suppose so. If two people really feel that way, then-" I didn't have time to finish my answer to him, because his lips were pressed against mine with such force I could barely breathe. He felt up my waist with his strong hands and I snaked my arms around his neck. His soft mouth kissed me gently as we got deeper and more passionate, but still tempted me every second we were attached. When we finally separated, he had only one thing to say.

"I love you Brianna," he said. "I don't know how you feel about me...but I love you. And I know you're the one, I could feel it when you walked through those doors. It was your presence. It was meant to be. I know it."

"It's easy to say that when you're a rock star, Georg." He smirked.

"Yea. I guess it is." He moved his hands up and carressed my face. "But this rock star means it."I smiled and kissed him again, remembering every place he touched me, holding close every moment we spent together. It was meant to be. I knew it.


	21. It Hurts When Love Gets In The Way

I looked up at my ceiling, staring at the life-size picture of Tom Kaulitz, meine liebe. I couldn't believe that I was actually going to see them in concert tonight. I had spent a total of 2 hours just staring at that shirtless picture of Tom-why did he have to be so damn hot? But no matter how many times about those front row tickets, I couldn't get myself to believe Tom would ever like a somewhat punkish, tomboy like me.

I lifted myself off my bed, pulling down my dark denim, torn mini and throwing on my favorite hoodie, a black Abbey Dawn hoodie with neon skulls covering it. I ran downstairs, my short brown hair bouncing up and down. It was 7:30, and I had a half an hour to get to the concert. I yelled over to my mom and told her that I was going to grab a taxi downtown to the arena where they were playing.

"Why don't I just drive you?"

"That's fine, Ma!" I yelled back, grabbing my black Converse and running out the door. "See you later!" I heard her say 'Love you,' but I was already in the taxi. It was the first time that Tokio Hotel was touring in the U.S., and I was not going to miss it. We were in New York City, visiting my grandparents, and Tokio Hotel just happened to be performing. This was going to be the most exciting time of my life, especially since I was on my own in the city with front row tickets.

When the taxi driver parked, I paid him and ran to find my place. They weren't even setting up-the concert was just about to start. There was a girl next to me who was definitely punk. She had long, straight, platinum blonde hair that was rigid at the ends and dyed all different colors. Her clothes were completely made up of neon-a neon green tank with a black leather belt and skinny jeans, with Doc Martens. She introduced herself as Anisa, and I told her my name was Sammiee.

"I can't believe the concert is starting in FIVE MINUTES!" Anisa said excitedly. I grinned.

"I really want to see Tom! He's meine leibe," Anisa laughed, and jumped up, trying to see if they were ready yet.

"You can have the player," she said, giggling. "I want Bill! He's meine liebe!" I laughed with her this time, and as we did, the lights dimmed, and the background music to 'Noise' began to play. Suddenly, the stage erupted in bright blue lights, blinking 'Welcome to Humanoid City.' Bill Kaulitz came onstage, and I heard Anisa scream the loudest out of everyone. But the person in front of me was who took me longer to process. Standing right there, right above me, donned in black corn rows and baggy jeans, banging on his guitar, was Tom Kaulitz.

"FUCK!" I screamed. Anisa laughed and screamed at the same time. I wanted to cry happy tears when he smiled down at Anisa and I, and scream and laugh all at the same time. I didn't have just one emotion-I had a billion.

The concert continued with their amazing music, including Darkside of the Sun, Phantomrider and Screamin'. I listened, mesmerized, not believing that I actually was here.

At the end of the concert, Anisa and I were still screaming. Our throats were so sore by the end, that we could barely talk, but I didn't care. I just wanted to see Tom smile at me again and again.

"Wasn't the concert AMAZING?" Anisa emphasized the last word. I nodded, unable to talk. I walked to the back of the building with her, and said goodbye. She gave me her number so we could keep in touch, and I finally thought I met someone that liked the same things I did. After she left, I tried to call my mom to come and pick me up, but there was no service.

"Need some help?" Some stranger asked after I was ready to throw my crappy cell at the wall.

"No thanks, I think I'm-" when I looked up from my phone, I realized it was no stranger at all. It was Tom Kaulitz, corn rows, lip ring, and baggy clothes and all. "Good." He did that sexy smirk that I knew so well from his pictures and interviews. His hands were in his pockets, which he pulled out an iPhone that had full bars.

"Uh...um...concert. Loved it." I stammered. He laughed at me as Bill and the rest of the band walked over. "Oh. My. God."

"See," Tom spoke to Georg. "I told you this girl was the real deal. And pretty cute." He smirked again, and I felt my heart melt. I smiled-no, grinned-and couldn't bring myself to believe who was standing in front of me.

"I have to...call...my mom...to get me, you know. She'll freak." Bill laughed.

"Don't I know that feeling," he said in his thick German accent. "We'll give you a ride."

"No, that's...awesome!" I couldn't put my words together. "I love you guys. I'm a huge fan...really, not just saying that. I can't believe I'm...talking to you...wow! This is incredible..."

"Listen," Tom said, placing a hand on my shoulder. I felt my whole body form into a puddle. "Don't faint. We've had a ton of fans faint. Don't. Faint." I laughed as he tried to calm me down, but even by laugh was shaky.

"Well, we've got to get going." Bill said.

"Hold on one sec," Tom said. "I've got to go get Marine."

"Marine?" I said, my smile disappearing.

"Yea," he said walking away. "This really hot chick who was front row. I'll see you guys outside." I felt my heart shatter into infinitely small pieces. Not even a microscope, even it was ultra-powerful, could've seen the remains of the broken pieces. He said I was cute; he talked to me the most. But Tom was twenty. He didn't want, nor did he care, about a fourteen year old tomboy like me. The band walked me to the limo, and Tom came back, surprisingly, with no Marine. I wonder if she said no; but that's not possible. Who the HELL would say no to someone like Tom Kaulitz?

I got in and was seated right next to Tom. It was more awkward for me, because he kept trying to make conversation. I didn't want to talk to him though. I just wanted to cry; he didn't really like me. He was just a player, a huge flirt who didn't give a damn about a girls feelings. Bill, Georg and Gustav went back stopped at the hotel.

"Hey, Bill, I'm going to stay in the limo with Sammiee, make sure she gets home fine." Bill shrugged and shook my hand, and the band signed my hoodie.

"Why did you stay here?" I asked him, my words bitter.

"I saw how upset you got..." Tom answered with his face down at the floor. "When I mentioned Marine."

"Well...I just liked you a lot, ok?" I said, tears coming out. "I really liked you. I learned everything about you. You were born September 1st, 1989. You have had sex with at least 25 girls. You own over 75 guitars and over 300 caps. Your favorite food is pasta and your favorite drinks are Red Bull and Coca Cola. You love spontaneous girls with dark hair, and you want them to be calm sometimes as well. I came to your concert, got front row tickets, watched you flirt with me, and break my heart. So thank you. I think I'll walk home." I told the driver to stop, and hopped out of the car. I figured Tom wouldn't follow, but I was wrong. I ran down the street, him right at my heels. Was I insane? He was 20; I couldn't outrun him.

"I like you too, ok?" He said gasping for air. I didn't respond; I was motionless, and in shock at his words. "I like the way you wrinkle your nose. I like the way your curls bounce when you walk. I like your style and your personality and I love how you don't let anyone push you around. There was no Marine. I said that to make the girl I really wanted jealous. You."

At that moment, he grabbed my arm, spun me around and passionately kissed me. He kissed me with force and showed actual love. I couldn't believe this was happening. I yanked at his black sweatshirt and pulled him closer to me. He leaned in farther and continued to kiss me. Finally, I gasped for air.

"Tom." I said. "I like you a lot as well. Love you, maybe. But...I'm fourteen."

"I don't care. I love you either way." I smiled, unable to process what was going on, but loving every minute of it. I soaked in his sweet smell, the smell of raspberries. I tried to remember the way he touched me, and every place he touched. There was so much detail. "Will you be mine?" He said, one hand on my waist and the other on my cheek.

"Of course." With that, we slipped into the night, kissing the whole way. "Doesn't it suck when love gets in the way?" Tom and I laughed. His response was:

"Not when you find the perfect person to love."


	22. Drumming On My Heart

I looked out my window onto the streets of Loitsche, Germany, my home of 3 months. It's taken some getting used to, and it hasn't been easy. How could it be? Living in a foster home with a woman who has six other children to feed, and rarely ever pays attention to you.

"Kaycee Rose!" My foster mother, Janice, called to me. "Get down here!" I quickly peeled my eyes away from the window and ran downstairs. You would think that at age 22, I would be able to live on my own. But, no. The government doesn't want me on my own until I have my own job, and learn to be 'responsible.'

"I'm coming, Janice!" When I reached the bottom of the staircase, Janice had her hands on her hips, her cigarette in her mouth, and her hair in a messy bun.

"I need you to watch the children for me." she said, slurring her words. She took the cigarette out of her mouth. "I need to make a few errands."

"Your errands take hours," I said, like the badass I was. "Isn't your job supposed to take care of us, not me take care of everyone? Besides, I have plans that I'm preparing for, and I've already watched everyone four times this week."

"Oh, really?" Janice said, faking an interest. "Listening to that stupid band of yours? What do you see in them anyway..."

"They make me feel better about living here with you," I said harshly. "They give me hope. I'm going to their concert tonight."

"Absolutely not," she said. "Those concerts get hectic, and I need someone who could pass as an adult around here. You can't be running around like a child."

"It's my decision. I don't care what you-"

"You wanted me to be in charge, right? Take care of you?" Janice turned my words against me. "Well, I am. You are watching the kids and staying home. I do not permit you to go to that concert. End of discussion."

I stomped into the kitchen, where the twins, Alec and Jace, both five, were fighting with forks, Cara, who was sixteen, was listening to her iPod, LeeAnn, who was nine, was playing with Dana, who was seven, and building with some toy blocks, and the youngest of them all, Marc, who was two, was crawling around one the floor.

I picked Marc up off of the floor and cradled him in my arms. I grimaced as I heard the door slam behind Janice. Suddenly, I got an idea.

"Cara," I said. But she couldn't hear me over the music. "CARA!" I yelled. She took the earplugs out and smiled sweetly. She was a great kid; I liked her the most. "I need you to do me a favor, and I swear to God that I will repay you."

"What is it, Kay?" she asked putting one earplug in.

"I was going to go to a concert tonight, but Janice said I couldn't because I had to watch all of you. You don't need to be watched, you're sixteen. But the rest of them do. So, I was going to sneak out and leave you here with the kids. The concert will be over before she's even back." Cara sighed deeply. I knew I was giving her a huge responsibility, but this oppurtunity to see Tokio Hotel would only come once in a lifetime. Besides, I really wanted to see Gustav Schafer.

"I don't know, Kaycee." she said nervously. "What if Janice comes back? You know how she gets." Janice hits the kids when they do something wrong, and she has hit Cara before. Not on account of me, but for reasons like not cleaning up the living room, or not watching one of the little ones.

"I promise on of life that I will be back on time," I said. "I swear." She sighed again.

"All right." she said. "I guess I could cover for you. But just this once!" I hugged her.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I said. "I could never thank you enough!" She laughed a little, and I went upstairs to get ready.

I decided on a hot pink tube dress with silver stilettos. I dyed my normally neon blue streaks a sleek sparkling white, and let my dark brown hair fall over my naturally tanned shoulders. I was Mexican and Brazilian, so I had the natural skin color.

"Yea, you're not trying to look hot or anything." Cara joked with me. I giggled a little, and hugged her again.

"I'll be back ASAP." I said. I snuck out the window of my room and went down the fire escape. It was a small building, so I didn't have to go down very far. I grabbed a taxi over to the arena where they were playing, my heart pounding, as if Gustav was drumming on my heart.

I walked through and got my seats. Not exactly front row, but pretty close. The concert was amazing-I couldn't really see Gustav though. Since he was the drummer, he was placed all the way at the back, behind the lead singer, the equally hot Bill Kaulitz.

I screamed so hard at the end that I thought my lungs would implode. At the end, Gustav took his towel and hung it over the stage. Little did he know someone would grab it! I laughed at the girl who did so, and Gustav's reaction as he skipped off stage. He was adorable when he skipped.

When everybody cleared out, I saw something on the floor. It couldn't be-but it was. The girl had forgotten Gustav's towel. I checked my phone: 12:53 P.M. Janice wouldn't be home for another half an hour, if I knew her well enough. I ran over and picked up the towel. I held it close to my face, smelling it. I probably looked like an idiot, but I didn't care. This was Gustav's towel. He held it, touched it. And now it was mine.

"Hey, isn't that my towel?" I looked above me, at someone standing on the stage. My mouth dropped as I saw the perfect face of Gustav Schafer hovering over me like an angel.

"I guess...I think. I found it on the floor." I said, trying to stammer. He laughed a little at me, a tiny smile forming in the corner of his mouth.

"You know that girl up front who stole it from me?" I nodded like a moron. "Was it you?" He asked me. I shook my head no, the words not coming into my mouth.

"I just...found it, like I said. On the floor." He laughed again.

"You know, I've seen pretty girls at a concert before." He said. "But none as pretty as you. And you definitely are not from Europe."

"Well...no." I replied. "I'm in a foster home." Gustav's face went serious.

"Is that so?" he said. "Why?"

"My parents died when I was three. I snuck out to see your concert because my foster mother is a complete bitch."

"That's...fun." Gustav said. We both laughed this time. "I'm so sorry."

"No, I really don't remember very much. I mean, I remember my foster mother. Obviously. But not my parents very much. Not knowing them is my only regret." There was a moment of silence, but I knew I had to break it. Cara would be getting worried. "My...um, another child who lives with me, Cara. I have to get back to her. It was an honor to meet you."

I began to walk away, but Gustav just followed me. "The rest of the band left," he said. "I usually stay after and hang out backstage. Relax, you know? I could take you home, if you would allow me the honor." I smiled a little, and nodded yes. He put his hand on my waist and led me out the doors of the arena.

"I love Tokio Hotel," I said when I reached the fire escape. "It was amazing to get a chance to meet you. You were always my favorite."

"Really?" He said flirtatiously. "I think you're my favorite fan." He moved closer towards me until we were just millimeters away from eachothers lips. "You're smart. Funny. Beautiful." He placed a hand on my cheek, and lightly kissed my mouth. I hesitated at first, afraid of the possibilities. But I got more into it, as did he. I rubbed my leg against his as his hand made its way around my waist.

"That..." I began. "I love you." I blurted out. I covered my mouth as my eyes went wide, but he didn't seem phased. "I'm sorry, that was-" But he crashed his lips against mine, inching me towards the wall, slamming our bodies against it passionately.

"I love you too," he said when we separated. "I knew it as soon as I saw you smelling my towel." We both laughed. "Will you be mine?"

"Yes." I said. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" I jumped into his arms, his soft lips against mine.

"Kaycee, is that you out-" I stopped kissing Gustav just in time to see Cara standing outside the window, smirking. "Continue." She said, walking back inside. "Janice will be back any minute though."

And so we did. I ran my fingers through his blond hair, and stared into his beautiful brown eyes. Everything he did made my body sizzle and burn with love, and I never wanted it to stop. He would forever be drumming on my heart.


	23. Its Suicide Lovin You, Yet I Can't Stop

**Melanie's POV:**

"Tokio Hotel?" I responded to my manager, Stacey Pennkast. "I'm the opening act for TOKIO HOTEL?!" Stacey just smiled at me. Tokio Hotel is my favorite band, I'm a singer, and my birthday is only a week away?

"It's your birthday surprise." Stacey said. "I know you love them, and when I heard that they needed an opening act, I jumped at the oppurtunity." I hugged her until I could tell she couldn't breathe. When I released, she brushed away my blonde bangs with the black tips.

"Thanks," I said. "I could never repay you for this. Ever."

"Well, the band is ecstatic to meet you!" she said excitedly. "We're going over to the studio to record your song tonight, and then we'll meet them on your birthday."

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" I couldn't believe this. Me, Melanie Day, at only 16, is not only going to meet Tokio Hotel on her birthday, but tour with them as their opening act. This couldn't be happening.

"When are you going to wash this insane dye out of your hair?" Stacey asked me a few seconds later. I had a very punk, emo style. I wore black almost all of the time, and my reddish-brown hair had bangs that were dyed blonde with spiked black tips to them.

"Um, never?" I said. "It's my image. I like it."

"Okay." Stacey said. "Whatever you say." That night, we went over to the studio to record my song, 'Torment.' It was a hit in the U.S...I was #1 on the Top 200 for three weeks running, until Miley Cyrus's 'Can't Be Tamed' caught up with me. She only lasted a few days, though. The next week, I packed my bags to go to Germany and meet Tokio Hotel. I still couldn't believe this was happening.

"Knock, knock." Someone tapped on my bedroom door. It was Stacey. "The plane leaves in an hour and a half. Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be." I said, my voice a bit shaky as I said so. I really wasn't prepared. I hadn't done any morning excercises to get my vocals ready, and I hadn't practiced guitar in a few days.

"Well, I'll take that bag, you take those, and we'll bring them down to the car. Okay?" Stacey was very organized. She pointed me towards all of the bags and we got them into the car without a problem. As we neared the airport, I felt my stomach leap into my throat. How was I going to do this? In front of the band? In front of my idols, the reason for my success? I couldn't, I had to tell Stacey. But it was too late. As of now, I was a part of the band Tokio Hotel.

 **Tom's POV:**

"Bill, when is that girl getting here?" I was sitting on the stage of the stadium we were going to be performing in that night. If this girl didn't get here soon, we were going to be late for rehearsal.

"She'll get here when she gets here, Tom!" Bill shouted over the mic testing. "Her plane must have gotten delayed or something."

"That's no excuse." I mumbled. I was so impatient. I hadn't had a girlfriend-no, I hadn't even SEEN a girl-since the tour began at least seven months ago.

"Tom, just watch your temper, okay?" Bill walked away again and began talking to Gustav. I tapped my fingers on the stage, and when I saw the doors open, I saw a woman with long blonde hair walk through the doors. She was dressed nicely, in a black blazer and a pencil skirt. She had a suitcase, and I knew that couldn't be the opening act. But the girl behind her, who I knew was here for us, was the person I was most worried about.

She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Punk and emo usually isn't my style, but she looked awesome. Plus, her curves...damn, those curves almost knocked me out. She was the perfect height for me, and I called Bill and the rest of the band over to say hello.

"Hey," the girl said while holding out her hand. "I'm Melanie Day. I'm your opening act." She sounded surprisingly calm.

"Hi Melanie," I said. "I'm-"

"I know who you guys are." she said, holding up her palm. "Bill Kaulitz, lead singer. Gustav Schafer, drummer. Georg Listing, bassist. And Tom Kaulitz. Guitarist." She said my name more slowly and I smiled at her in a way that I figured was pretty sexy. Like her.

"Well, I'll leave you guys to get to know each other."

"Thanks Stace." Melanie said as the blonde haired woman walked away. "So..."

"Yea, so." I said, trying to start a conversation.

"Maybe we should start rehearsing."

 **Melanie's POV:**

Oh my God.

OH MY GOD!

I always knew Tom was hot, but, Jesus, in person, he's...he's...I don't even have the words to describe him. And he's so nice to me, the whole band is. The rehearsal went really well. They wished me happy birthday, and we even all went out to dinner together. Tom sat next to me, and I think he kept flirting.

I'm kind of worried though. I mean, Tom is known to be a player. What if I'm just the next girl to get played? He's already said he's fucked a few sixteen year olds. God.

Maybe I'm going insane. Maybe I'm just being stupid. I don't know. But I know one thing for sure. Something about Tom is attracting me to him like a really powerful magnet, and I don't know how to stop it.

 **Tom's POV:**

Melanie is:

-Hot

-Smart

-Funny

-Laid back, but spontaneous

-Everything I look for in a girl

-CURVY

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I might actually be in love with her. I only know her for about a week, but I keep thinking about her. I can't get her out of my head, and everything I do is to impress Melanie. She makes me want to change.

The concerts with Melanie as our opening act are beginning tomorrow. I can't wait-it's going to be amazing being on tour with her, just us, on a bus. It's going to be awkward though...we've never toured with a girl, and it's going to be for a long time. That means we'll have to get used to having a girl around.

The best thing about Melanie is that she is so independent, so you don't have to worry about leaving her alone, or making her feel bad. I can still be the same old Tom, and not have to be any different.

Right?

 **Melanie's POV:**

Tonight was the first concert on tour! It went absolutely fantastic, and the tour bus is so cool. But I'm so hyper right now. Why? Well...

Tom kissed me.

I know! It was amazing. I leaned into him, and it was almost like I was supposed to be in his arms all along. That magnet finally got himself over to me. His kiss was long and sweet, and I loved every minute of it. He wrapped his arms around me, and run his strong hands over my back. I put my hands on his cheeks and pulled him deeper into the kiss. Then...he told me he loved me.

Just like that. He told me he loved me. I have been replaying those moments in my head over and over and over. Everything Tom does, he said, is for me. And I'm loving every minute of it.

I walked through the small doors into my bedroom, still smiling from Tom's last words to me. I had to pick out another outfit for the concert tomorrow night. Right while I was unpacking some of my heels, I heard something next door. It sounded like people were making out. Probably Bill. I figured I'd go sneak up on him, since we've gotten to be such good friends.

I walked into the extremely small hallway of the tour bus and opened the door to Tom and Bill's bedroom. I didn't expect what I saw.

"Melanie." Tom breathed. I'm surprised he even could breathe, since he was busy sticking his tongue down some other girls throat. "I'm so-" I didn't give him the chance to finish. I ran out and slammed the door loudly. "MELANIE!" He called after me. I told the driver to stop the bus, and I got off. I wasn't staying here, not with that whore that told me he loved me.

"Nice, Tom!" I called behind me. "REAL nice of you!" He was shirtless, and his pants were sagging like they always did. I couldn't look at him right now; just the thought of him after this was enough to make me sick.

"I can't believe you did this to me, Tom!" I yelled into his face, that was looking at the ground. "You tell me you love me, kiss me, and go make out with some other girl? Who do you think you are?!"

"An idiot," he said. "I'm an idiot, Mel, I was so stupid, and I don't know how many times I can apologize."

"Not enough!" I yelled. "How could you do that to me? Lead me on, make me believe you actually cared?" I was crying now, and Tom was shaking his head.

"I do love you Melanie, I always did, I will always care about you! That girl doesn't mean anything to me, but YOU do!"

"Oh, really?" I said sarcastically. "Then prove-" Right then, he grabbed my shoulders and crashed his mouth against mine. He felt up my waist and I ran my fingers over his corn rows. I eventually wrapped my legs around his stomach and he lifted me up. We walked back to the tour bus arm in arm.

"Tom." I finally asked. "Why do I keep loving you?" Tom thought for a second, and then finally spoke.

"Because we were always meant to be."


	24. My Best Friends Wedding

"Lexi, how much longer do you think they'll be?" My best friend, Olivia, asked. "I'm worried." Tom and Bill Kaulitz, guitarist and lead singer of the internationally famous rock band Tokio Hotel, who were also our boyfriends, were late. They were supposed to be taking us out to dinner that night, and something was holding them back from actually showing up.

"I don't know," I said nervously, biting my nails like Bill does when he's nervous. "But you look really hot tonight. Tom will enjoy spending some time with you!" Olivia giggled as I winked at her, and threw a pillow from off of the couch at my head. Olivia had long, thick dark brown hair that had natural burnt red highlights from the sun, and (also natural) gorgeous waves that fell beautifully over her shoulders. She was wearing a deep ruby red tight halter dress that fell mid-thigh and black multi strap stilettos. I was a black tube top dress the was scrunched up in the front, and gold platform heels. Olivia's style was more urban chic than mine-I was definitely more like my boyfriend, Bill, who had a rock/emo style. The dress made my dark brown eyes look even darker, which I loved, and my black hair that fell just a bit below my shoulders looked really nice.

"Please," Olivia said to me, rolling her eyes. "You always look good." Olivia was constantly saying that other people are beautiful, and always sees the best in others. But somehow, she misses all of the beautiful things about herself.

"Shut up!" I said, throwing the pillow back. "You're gorgeous all the time." I wasn't lying. Olivia had really long legs, and pale skin, that when she wore red lipstick like she was tonight, made her look like Snow White. That was even Tom's nickname for her, because of her pale skin, red lipstick, and really dark hair.

At that moment, we heard the front door click. Olivia leapt up off the couch, her waves bouncing, and I spun around angrily. We glared at them as they looked at us both almost fearfully, waiting for someone to have the first word. One of the things I loved about Olivia is that she is never afraid to speak out about anything. She can have a completely twisted and warped theory on something, and make such a good argument, that the person she is debating with is forced to believe her. Not only that, but she is never the first to back down from a fight.

"Well?" Olivia said, hands on her hips, waiting for an almost terrified Tom to reply. "You left us here for two hours? No phone call, no 'I'm going to be late,' no nothing? Who do you think we are?"

"Liv-" Tom said, wrapping his arms around her waist with a sexy smile that he already told me Olivia could never resist. However, this time, she was resisting pretty well. She slowly pushed his hands down and off of her, without breaking eye contact.

"Don't 'Liv' me." She said, crossing her arms. Bill was still standing near the door, which he was going to be out of if he didn't tell me where he was. "Lexi and I did have a surprise for you, and honestly, I don't think you should have it anymore." Tom winked at Bill and Bill began to smile hugely, grinning ear-to-ear.

"Well, I have a surprise for you to." Tom got down on one knee, in front of Olivia, and pulled out a little black box. "The surprise is the reason that I was late." Opening the box was an engagement ring, a huge engagement ring. Olivia's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with both of her hands.

"Olivia Leigh," Tom began, smiling. "I love you, I want you, and you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Will you marry me." Olivia hesitated for a minute, still in shock.

"Y-yes." she said. "Yes, yes, yes, yes!" Tom slid the ring onto her finger, and I thought I was going to cry. He stood up, and Olivia jumped into his waiting arms, their lips coming together in a passionate kiss. Bill motioned to me upstairs and I gladly followed, seeing as how the kissing was getting a little to intense for both of us to be in the room for.

"So, that's why I was late." Bill said, holding my hands in the living room on the second floor. We all lived together, so being with them was so much easier. "Tom wanted everything to be perfect-he called me over close to tears because he had no idea what he was supposed to buy." I laughed.

"And you do, Bill?" He lifted one eyebrow and smiled mysteriously.

"You never know. I have my experience," Right after he said that, he took my face in his hands and kissed me sweetly. I loved Bill's kisses; they were soft and gentle, while still full of the love we both shared for each other.

"So," I said. "When do you think the lovebirds will be done down there?"

"Knowing our best friend and my brother?" Bill thought for a second. "Not until tomorrow morning." We both laughed again, and went upstairs to drift into a deep sleep. I would need my energy if I was to plan my best friend's wedding.

 _ **Three Months Later...**_

"You look beautiful." I said, tearing up. Olivia was about to walk down the aisle, to completely give herself to Tom Kaulitz. Her dress was a white strapless gown with a gorgeous train and sequins that, if you looked closely enough, made the pattern of a blooming rose. Her eyes were innocent and mascara covered, and her lips were completely glossed and looked full and lovely. Her high cheekbones were accented by her pink blush, and her smile lit up the room when I complimented her. I had never seen her so excited.

"Thank you." she said. "I just can't wait till the honeymoon..." We laughed, and did our secret handshake.

"I can't believe..." I began, choking up. "I can't believe...you're getting married. You're eighteen." Olivia was two years older than me. But age didn't matter; she was still my sister.

"When you love someone, age doesn't matter. Trust me." We laughed again. While Tom was two years older than Olivia, Bill was four years older than me. I was sixteen. "Here, let me help you with your dress now."

My red Maid of Honor dress had folded a bit, and Olivia, OCD as usual, was determined to make it perfect.

A few hours later, Olivia and Tom were about to get into their car, ready to go on their honeymoon. Olivia had her dream wedding, and I was still sixteen and a baby to Olivia.

"Wait!" she called. She walked Tom onstage where they held the wedding reception, and grabbed the microphone. Tom and Olivia were smiling as if they knew something everyone else didn't. "Bill Kaulitz, please come to the stage, I repeat, Bill Kaulitz, my other best friend, come up to the stage." The people around us laughed at Olivia's sense of humor. Bill grabbed my hand, and walked me up onstage as well. I heard Tom whisper 'good luck' to Bill before he and Olivia walked off, and Bill took the mic.

"Lexi Anne." he said, beginning to get down on one knee and take out that same little black box that held Olivia's ring. My heart was pounding and I felt my cheeks heat up. "I love you. I want to give you the world, and everything I can. You love me for me, and I could never thank you enough for that. So here's something that I hope will suffice as a thank you. Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" I said immediately. The crowd cheered, and I heard Olivia screaming from right below the stage. He slid the ring onto my finger, and as the crowd stood up to give Bill and I a standing ovation, I kissed him stronger and harder than I ever had. His arms wrapped around me like the protection I knew he would always give me. And to think...

It all happened at my best friends wedding.


	25. A Twist In My Story

"I can't believe we have backstage passes to see the one, the only-"

"TOKIO HOTEL!" I yelled. My best friend, April, had been going on about the back stage passes for a good two months. That was when I got the tickets to see our favorite band. We had just finished watching the concert, and we were being led down a long corridor by at least seven security guards, to see Tokio Hotel in person.

Personally, I really wanted to meet Gustav Schafer. April thought I was insane because I always thought Gustav was the cutest one-April just wanted Bill really badly. Tom Kaulitz usually would've been her first option, but Tom's too busy laying every girl that comes around the corner, and Georg Listing already has a girlfriend. Bill Kaulitz was her official favorite. Plus, he was more dark and emo, like her.

April was beautiful. Her hair was long, straight, and black. Her eyes were a bright and intriguing green, that any guy would be tempted by. She has a seemingly perfect face, and sometimes I'm even jealous. Not because she's beautiful, not at all. It's just that whenever we go out somewhere, April always gets the guys attention, and somehow I get left in the dust.

"Boys," the security guard knocked on the door of an almost hidden room."The girls with backstage passes are here." The door opened to reveal Georg Listing, tight black band tee and all. In the back of the room was Tom, lying on the couch almost asleep, Bill, eating some gummy worms, and...

Gustav. Twirling his drumsticks, playing with his blond hair, putting on his black glasses, was Gustav Schafer. I felt my heart begin to pound out of my chest.

"Hello," the bassist said. "I'm Georg."

 _ **Two Months Later...**_

"What the hell do you MEAN he likes someone?!" Bill leaned backwards, afraid of what I was about to do to him. I become best friends with Tokio Hotel two months ago, and he decides to tell me NOW that the guy I've been in love with since I met him, Gustav Schafer, LIKES SOMEONE?!

"He just told me he likes someone, but how am I supposed to know who?" Bill came forward to me again. "I can see how you're worried, knowing that someone in the band already likes April. But trust me...it isn't Gustav."

"Yea, you can see how I'm worried." I wanted to stab Bill right then. How could he wait this long to tell me?

"If it helps...I could give you a piece of information that can prove that he doesn't like April, and that somebody else does." I rolled my blue eyes, already knowing the answer.

"If you're about to tell me that you've been in love with April since you met her, save it." I said, crossing my arms and legs on the couch. "It's obvious, and she feels the same way." Bill's eyes widened at this new fact. Then, a look of fury arose in his eyes.

"YOU KNEW AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!" Bill said furiously. "WHY THE HELL WOULDN'T YOU TELL ME?!" I yawned, and he relaxed, knowing that this was payback.

"Ha." I said. Bill sighed.

"Do you think I should tell her?"

"Well, she's only been waiting for you to for two months." I snorted.

"Well, excuse me for wanting to take me good time with it." We laughed and I headed downstairs to see April.

"Hey, Ap-" Suddenly, I felt an arm twisting me around. It was Gustav.

"We need to talk, Janie." I nodded my head like an idiot and blushed like mad. I couldn't believe he was holding me; even if it was more like a death grip than a romantic hug. Gustav led me upstairs to his bedroom and closed and locked the door.

"What is it G?" I asked, trying to make light of the situation. But Gustav was serious.

"Georg told me you loved me." He said. My heart stopped for what seemed like hours. I couldn't believe he knew. "And also that you think I love April."

"Well, yea." I said, trying to begin. "Not on the fact that I love you, but that I thought you love April, which is definitely a possibility because she's gorgeous and that's obvious..." I was babbling to the extent where I thought I would never stop. Until Gustav decided to stop me with a long, sweet kiss.

"What was that about not loving me?" He said smiling. I smiled back.

"What do you mean I don't love you?" I said, kissing him some more. We stayed locked in each others arms for a few more minutes, mumbling 'I love you' back and forth to each other romantically, not stopping to catch our breath.

"I need to go find April," I said to Gustav. "I need to tell her Bill is in love with her." Gustav laughed, and after a few seconds, I did too.

"Don't worry," he said with a wink. "I'm not going anywhere." I walked down the stairs, my head in the clouds. I couldn't believe it; Gustav loved me, I loved Gustav. Bill loved April, April loved Bill. Now, I just needed to tell April that...

But I didn't have to. I turned the corner into the living room downstairs to find April and Bill making out on the couch. Bill was on top of April, and she had her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around his stomach.

"I guess I don't need to tell you that Bill is in love with you, huh April?" I smirked. Bill waved me away quickly, before putting his hand through April's thick black hair.

"Go...away...Janie!" April said between kisses.

"Have fun you guys..." I heard April moan as Bill kissed her neck, and I couldn't help but giggle. I knew for a fact, as soon as I got upstairs and started doing the same thing with Gustav that Bill and April were doing, that this was a twist in my story. That my life would never be the same again.


	26. S Is For Sexy And A Few Other Things

"Ready?" I said to my best friends Lizzie and Cameron.

"As we'll every be." They said at the same time. I was so lucky I had Cameron as a best friend; her uncle was the manager of Tokio Hotel, my favorite band, and he scored us a wicked audtition as an opening act for the beginning of their European tour.

"Damn, my hair sucks today." I said, trying to build some confidence before stepping into the room that seemingly decided my fate. "It looks like I combed it with a fucking brick!" Cameron laughed; it was a nervous laugh. She wanted Lizzie and I to get this audition as badly as we wanted to; probably more, because she was kind of the manager of our two-girl rap group.

"Shut up, you look awesome." Lizzie said, brushing a strand of pin-striaght brown hair away from my face.

"My mouth hurts...maybe we shouldn't audition today." I had gotten my braces tightened yesterday, but I was so used to them I didn't feel the pain at all. I was just looking for excuses not to embarress myself in front of my celebrity crush: Tom Kaulitz.

For what feels like my whole life, I have always loved Tom Kaulitz. Was it those chocolate brown eyes that made me melt? Those corn rows that I wish I could use to pull him into a passionate embrace? Or perhaps, those abs that every girl wanted her perfect guy to have: six pack, broad shoulders, and a gorgeous, glistening wet body after stepping out of a hot tub?

Not that I would know, or anything.

"Jackie Rae Johnson and Lizzie Krichko?" Cameron's uncle called to us. "You're up...good luck. Tom's been looking forward to the rap group all day."

My heart pounded out if it's chest-Tom was looking forward to seeing us? Did he think that would make me LESS nervous when performing? I felt my long, straight brown hair frame my face immediately, and I grit my teeth. A habit I had to get out of if I was getting rid of these Goddamn braces.

"Okay," I whimpered. "Be right there." I had never gotten stage fright before; but it was too late to back out. This was the opportunity of a lifetime. I needed to take a shot.

Lizzie and I linked arms and proudly walked through the metal double doors that would bring us to Tokio Hotel.

Bill sat in the middle chair, in between Georg and at the very end, tapping a pencil against the plastic, foldover table, was Tom. His black corn rows framed his face, his eyes peering into mine in a way that I can only describe as "with lust." Or was I lustful for him?

"Hi," Bill introduced himself. "I'm Bill Kaulitz, and this is-"

"I know!" I replied, cutting him off quickly, but feeling my face turn pink. "I mean...I know who you are. Of course. Or else I wouldn't be here. Right?" Lizzie giggled, and I grinned like the moron I felt like at that moment. Tom's eyes hadn't left me; I was beginning to get uncomfortable.

"So what are you going to do for us?" Bill asked politely, as always. "You're the rap group, right?"

"Finally." Tom mumbled under his breath. He reached for his water bottle, and took a sip. I had never seen anyone make drinking water look so hot. He licked his lip ring, making his lips even more wet and delectable.

"We...uh...well, we..." I stammered.

"We are going to do the female rendition of Lose Yourself by Eminem, with background by me. The background is Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z. It's damn good." The band laughed a little, but Tom only revealed a slight smirk before looking to his lap. I wonder what was going on down there...

We began our rap, and sounded awesome. Somewhere in the middle our voices mixed, and Love The Way You Lie flowed out of our mouths; completely improvised.

We were about to leave the room, when Bill walked up to us.

"No lie, you guys were the best act of the day." He said. Tom nodded in agreement. "We wanna take you out tonight...if that's okay." Bill looked at Lizzie, while Tom looked at me.

"I'm very interested in a night out." Tom said. "I could show you around the hotel." He winked at me, and I blushed madly. If sex is what he wanted...well, how could I resist those lips? Those eyes? Him, as a whole?

We walked back to their hotel for dinner. Lizzie and Bill hit it off fast, talking about Kings of Leon, a band I could never really get into. They left early, leaving Tom and I in his hotel room, where we had had dinner.

"So." he said. "You're fifteen?"

"I...well...yea." I struggled to gather my words, but somehow he noticed. He reached his hand over, placing it on my knee.

"You know," he said. "I know something that could keep us occupied...for a while." Chills struck like a lightening bolt down my spine as his fingertips paved their way up my inner thigh. I chose a bad day to wear a mini skirt.

"Tom-" but he had already cut me off with a kiss. His hands travelled up my shirt, but I had lost power over my own body. I could feel my lower body jerk as my skirt was pulled off and he laid me on the bed. All I could keep thinking was "I'm just a one-night stand...that's all...so why am I letting this happen?"

I couldn't answer my own question. All I knew was that those hands weren't used just for playing guitar; I felt my chest being squeezed and my shirt slipped off. Leaving tiny love bites on my neck, his sweet, wet lips made their way to my collarbone. Nips and bites left marks on my skin, but I could only notice my moans of sheer pleasure. By bra was off, and so was his shirt. I felt my hands feeling for his belt buckle, and slipped off his jeans. As soon as we were completely stripped down, he grabbed my inner thigh and thrusted; hard and fast, I felt his every move inside of me. Who knew losing your virginity could feel this good...

Screams of pleasure escaped my lips and his groans could only be taken by me as a sign he was enjoying himself. Pulling him closer, I grabbed his corn rows and allowed him even more entrance. His tongue swirled in my mouth, and begged for more...I couldn't stop. I couldn't find the will to tell him enough. How could I, when I only wanted more?

It wasn't until it was all over that I realized what I had done. Or rather, WHO I had done. He was twenty one. I was fifteen.

"Tom," I whispered, waking him from his sleep. "Tom!"

"What?" he mumbled, fatigued. "Are you okay?"

"I need to leave...I need to call Lizzie to come and get me."

"I'll drive you back-"

"No!" I nearly shouted. I was trembling, and tears were pricking at the back of my eyes. Soon, I would be a wreck. "I'm sorry, I need to leave. Now. I can't see you again."

"Jackie, come on..." Tom's eyes seduced me iinto coming closer, but I fought the urge to cuddle into his chest and cry. I got out of the bed, quickly gathering my clothes and running the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I muffled my gasps and sobs inside my crumpled tee shirt; it had a picture of Tokio Hotel on it, but I couldn't even look at Tom's face on the shirt. I felt my heart breaking; I gave up everything I believed in, all of my morals, everything I resisted for so long, for ONE NIGHT.

ONE NIGHT for a guy I wouldn't see again.

ONE NIGHT of pleasure that lasted for only a few minutes.

ONE NIGHT...for one night.

I heard Tom knocking on the door and calling my name, but I didn't open it. I quickly put on my clothes, grabbing a sweatshirt to throw on over the hideous tee shirt. I opened the bathroom door and Tom was waiting outside.

"Please, don't leave." He said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry."

"No," I said, wiping away the tears on my face and sniffling. "No, it's my fault. I never stopped you. I had every chance to stop what happened and I didn't and this is the result...the consequence."

"Leaving me?" he said, beginning to choke on his own tears. "You're just going to leave me after we had sex? Like it didn't happen?" I thought about what to say.

"Now you feel like all the other girls you used for a night." With that, I ran out of the room and Lizzie was waiting in her Jeep. Bill was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Bill?" I asked. "What happened last night?"

"We have another date tonight...he's the sweetest. How about you? How was your night with the sex-bomb?" she saw me look down in my lap, and I immediately felt her eyes boring into my skull. "Jackie Rae, you didn't-"

At that moment, Tom ran outside and up to the car.

"Get out." he said. I looked at him like he was insane, and then I realized he was serious. I looked to Jackie for advice, but I the only thing I could see in her eyes was 'go.' I stepping out of the car, careful not tol get my already muddy black Converse in a puddle. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into the most passionate kiss, I could feel the pain in my lips.

"I love you," he said. "That wasn't a one night stand, and don't try to convince me otherwise. I love you...you're the one for me. But only if you'll have me...I'm not perfect. I won't lie." I kissed him again; oh, how I loved kissing his sweet lips.

"Perfection is the downfall of a society. Besides..." I said, sliding his hands to my butt. "Dysfunctional relationships can have their perks. Right?" He nodded, grinning.

We kissed again, the sun rising above the cobblestone streets of Germany, perfectly entwined in each others arms.

Like it was always supposed to be.


	27. Kat On A Hot Tin Roof

My name is Katora.

I am seventeen years old.

And I am in jail.

Ya, I know. It sounds bad...but really, it's not my fault. Technically, I'm notinjail. I'm bailing my best friendoutof jail. There is a distinct difference.

Now, the next question you may be asking is how the hell two seventeen year old girls got into jail in a foreign country. Well, it's very simple. You let go of all of your morals for one night to hang out with a German rock band, and it's almost an easy ticket to prison.

Almost easy.

"KATORA!" Bill screamed to me a few days ago, while we were waiting for the train to come and bring us to their next concert. "WHERE'S LEEANN?!"

He didn't need to scream just because he was in a train station; and the screaming did little to help hide his image. So much for being incognito, Bill.

"Bill, shut up! I hear you! EVERYONE hears you!" I slapped a hand over his mouth, and he rolled his eyes. "LeeAnn will be here soon. VERY soon. Do you understand that?" He nodded and licked my hand, making me yell in disgust.

"Ha." Was his only response.

"I found her!" Tom and Georg shouted to Bill at the same time. "And I think she's drunk." Holding onto one of her hands, Tom was grasping LeeAnn, my best friend.

"Damn it LeeAnn," I said. "DAMN it!" We were just about to get on a train to go to a concert-where LeeAnn was the opening act-and she was drunk.

I looked over at Bill's solemn, chocolate brown eyes. He looked at LeeAnn like he was looking at his true love, and I felt a pang against my heart.

I had loved Bill since the moment I laid eyes on him; it was one of those instant connections. But...I guess I had to understand I would never be his girl. He was in love with LeeAnn, and we all knew it.

"I thought you were watching her, Katora?" Bill looked at me through scornful eyes. Only those chocolate brown eyes could make me feel so remorseful.

"I...I-" I stammered, trying to find the words to express my regret. But I couldn't. As usual, I made myself look like a fool in front of Bill. I sighed, relinquishing any chance of winning this fight.

"Excuse me," an officer came over, carrying a pad and paper. He looked serious, handcuffs on one side of his pants, flashlight and small club and gun on the other. "Can I see a license?"

I squinted my eyes at the shaggy blonde haired cop. His face had a stormy look on it as his eyes flickered like a candle from Bill and I to LeeAnn.

I quickly grabbed LeeAnn's handbag, hoping to find a license, something to identify her. Nervously shuffling through unused receipts and business cards that were carelessly and sloppily strewn about the handbag, I grabbed her drivers license. The officer looked over the license and looked over it with intense eyes.

"This license is for USA only." he responded, placing the license in the pocket attached to his writing pad.

"So?" LeeAnn slurred. "It works, right..."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you in. Underage drinking in a foreign country. You're not in a good position."

"Wait, no, she didn't realize!" I desperately tried to reason as the cuffs were placed around her wrist.

"It won't happen again sir," Bill tried coaxing the cop to let go of LeeAnn, though it didn't work.

I saw Bill take LeeAnn's hand, and whisper "everything will be okay." I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and my fists clench. Damn LeeAnn, and her perfect...everything.

1 HOUR LATER

Tom, Bill, Georg and I sat on the cold metal bunch outside of the jail cell in which LeeAnn was being held. She wasn't drunk anymore. Hungover, but not drunk.

"I can't believe you were so irresponsible, Lee." I scolded her.

"You try having some fun on tour with nothing to do but sit on a damn tour bus!"

"Quiet down!" the cop who had arrested her shouted. We learned his name was Officer Schmidt. We also learned he was an unresponsive, mean, and sex-deprived 27 year old man with no girlfriend.

"How are we going to pay off a $650 bail in time to get to the concert?" Bill asked, begging for an answer. I sighed deeply, and put my face in my hands.

"We can't." I responded miserably. "Thanks a lot LeeAnn."

"I said I was sorry!" she yelped.

"Just leave her alone, Kat!" Bill exclaimed. "Everyone makes mistakes!" Finally, I exploded. I was done having him defend everything LeeAnn did. She could blow up Switzerland and he would, in her defense, say she had a good reason for it.

"Jesus Christ Bill!" I shouted, jumping up from my seat on the icy bench. "We all know your in love with LeeAnn, so why don't you just get it through your head that even though that's your feelings, other people have feelings too!"

"Like who?" Bill nearly whispered.

"Me." I whispered again. My voice rose to a high pitch, like it always does when I get nervous. "Every time she messes up, I get blamed. And she's my best friend, and I love her, but you always defend her! And you can't even see, that's the thing, you don't see..."

"Don't see what, Kat? Spit it out!"

"You don't see that I'm the only one here who could ever love you the way you want to be loved!" Without any control, I threw myself through the doors of the prison and ran outside. I heard Bill behind me, luring me back. But I knew that the closest I would ever get to him was between him and LeeAnn. There was no use trying.

"Wait!" He yelled as I neared the bridge overlooking a rocky ocean. My sneakers scraped the cement, and I tripped over a shoelace. I fell on the sidewalk, without bothering to get up.

With a scraped knee, a few tears, and all the strength I could muster, I walked back to the train station, without Bill. I wanted to go home, and home was not with him.

I stepped onto the train with as much dignity as I could. I sat next to a rather tall man, with a ridiculously large hat, donned entirely in black. Every few minutes during the ride I would find his hand nearing my leg, and I would feel my heart beating unnaturally loudly.

I felt the footsteps of the strange man following me as I exited the train. I sped up my pace, hoping to rid myself of my mysterious follower, but he only sped his pace as well. Finally I whipped my head around, to find him staring at me, chest to chest we were.

"Get away from me, freak!" But he grabbed my arm, covering my mouth, and bringing me to a corner of the train station. Is this it? I thought. The end? Killed in a corner of a rickety train station?

I felt his lips against mine, and an aroma that was so familiar it was scary. A spark hit my mouth in a moment and though I was terrified, I also didn't want to stop. That scared the hell out of me.

"I had been waiting to do that for so long," the man said, lifting his hat to reveal the all-too-familiar face of my Bill Kaulitz.

"You scared me!" I slapped him in the arm.

"I don't love LeeAnn!" he nearly shouted. "I love you! And I made it look like LeeAnn was the one because I thought you would be jealous and I just find your jealousy sexy..." He placed his hands on my waist.

"And I find your alluring theories ridiculous!" I said. Finally, I whispered to him: "You think I'm sexy?"

"Hell yes." he responded. He kissed me more passionately this time, and I realized I wasn't walking on thin ice anymore, trying to keep my secret love for Bill a secret. Bill's world was in harmony, and that was all he could ask for. All he could wish for.

Me.


	28. To Close To Imperfection

Chrissie, Courtney thought. How I wish you were here to give me advice. Courtney Schafer stared longingly at the picture of her now-dead friend Chrissie. One minute, Chrissie was driving happily in her car, on her way to Courtney's fourteenth birthday party. The next, her car was being towed off a highway, her mangled body taken to a hospital that couldn't save her innocent life.

There were so many things that Chrissie had missed; Courtney had been accepted to an American boarding school for language arts and theatre, won countless awards for her performing talents. But the biggest news was that she had finally saved herself from Craig, her boyfriend. Abusive boyfriend, that is. And she had the scars, physically and emotionally, to prove it.

A tiny tear trickled down her cheek as memories flooded back to a time where Courtney had no power, no excuses, and no time to leave. A time when Craig, a shadow, loomed over her like a bad omen, waiting to ruin a piece by piece all the things she held dear.

*FLASHBACK*

"Don't do this Craig, I apologized-" his hand struck her cheek with a strength unknown to her. Courtney held to the bed with all of will left in her weak body.

"Why can't you just listen for once in your damn life?" Craig spat in fury. His fist sunk into her stomach, and she fell back onto the bed. His room was a dark blue, with black accents. Nothing was bright. It was like she had entered Hell on earth.

Craig slipped his hands under her shirt. "Craig, no! What are you doing?" Again, his hand crossed her face, this time with more power.

"I'm doing what I want! You'll love it, babe." Courtney struggled, but he took a pair of socks and knotted them around her wrists. She screamed, but nobody could hear. She was stupid enough to come to his home alone, with no parents. He didn't have many neighbors, and the closest ones were blocks away.

"Stop, I don't want this!" Courtney screamed. Another sock was stuffed into her mouth, and her screams were muffled. The tears flowed over, and she felt herself being violated in a matter of seconds. As his fingers went in, her eyes went wide. He pulled in and out quickly, and she could feel the pulsing in her lower body. She tried to get loose, to find sanctuary, get away, but she couldn't. She couldn't escape this time.

"Time for the main event," he smirked. He slipped his pants off, and placed his hands on her chest. She tried kicking, but he was too strong and pinned her legs down by the thighs. He pumped in and out, groaning in pleasure. Courtney felt the electric rush go through her body. "You like that?" he asked, trying hard to be seductive. "I'll give you more." Craig went harder and faster, and Courtney could feel herself heating up and sweating. "Damn Courtney...you're so good...Courtney..."

*END FLASHBACK*

"Courtney!" Gustav called to her from downstairs, knocking the horrible fantasy from past nightmares out of her head.

"Coming," she called back to her brother. Walking down the hallway, she spotted him. Tall and donned in black, he stood over her, guiding her. Even though he didn't necessarily know it.

"Bill." Courtney breathed. "Hi."

"Oh, hey Courtney." Bill smiled casually. "Your brother-"

"I know," Courtney interrupted. "But it's okay." Bill saw the picture of Chrissie in Courtney's hand and grimaced.

"I...I know you really cared for her." Bill said, placing a hand on Courtney's shoulder. "I wouldn't know what it is like to lose someone, but..."

"I know," Courtney cut him off again. "I know you're sorry but nothing can bring her back. The past is the past. Unfortunately." Those words brought Craig's ghost back to her, and once again, Bill's light was devoured by Craig's darkness.

"Maybe you should look for Gustav." Bill suggested sweetly. Courtney put her head down, ashamed of her past, and with a slight nod, left the hallway, and Bill, behind her.

"There you are!" Gustav shouted over the slowly perking coffee and the running dishwasher. Georg wasvacuumingthe light brown speckled carpet, while Tom was choosing hats from the hall closet. "I was wondering if you wanted breakfast," he asked with a smile. It was sad he didn't know. He knew about the abuse, and the rape, but what he didn't know was that the past haunted Courtney's dreams day and night. Nothing could change that, not even the incredible strength of her brother's love.

"Yes." Courtney replied simply. She slid a delicate hand through her dirty blonde hair, and hid it behind her ear. "Eggs and toast. Juice." She grabbed her picture of Chrissie of the table that she placed it on, and walked up the stairs.

Courtney slipped into the darkness of the attic, going through box after box, photo after photo, of her and Chrissie. She then stumbled across one that held pictures of her and Tokio Hotel.

Mostly with her brother, the pictures consisted almost entirely of Gustav and Courtney. Courtney and Gustav. The Schafer Kids. But then, there were a few funny ones. The one with Georg when Courtney shoved cake all over his face, the CD that contained a video of Tom and her singing Sweet Home Alabama with ridiculously obvious German accents. All of these made her smile.

But one picture stood out the most. The one of her and Bill, giving an eskimo kiss to one another. Rubbing tiny nose to tiny nose, holding hands like old friends. With his touch, they indulged in each other's secrets. With his stare, they shared a friendship as strong as the ground on which they walked. With his guidance, they, she, was able to follow the right path, the path to self worth and virtue.

So maybe he didn't know it just yet. And maybe he never would know. Maybe she was too young, and this was just another phase in her already short life. But with a smile, a wave, and a glance from Bill Kaulitz, the monster she once knew would disappear into the shadows of an unforgiving night, and she would make her own destiny.

With Bill by her side.


	29. When You Haven't Done Your Laundry

Swish.

Swish.

Swish, swish swish swish, _swirl..._

Morgan watched the washing machine in the laudromat go back and forth, up and down. The worst part of a European summer vacation? Paying to do laundry.

Swish.

Swish.

Swish, swish swish swish, _swirl..._

It really is a whirlpool spin, Morgan thought, watching the soapy suds spread across the door of the washer in a clean and thin film.

A low voice behind her startled her out of her trance.

"Excuse me. Miss?" an accented voice asked from behind her. Morgan sighed. Life would be a lot easier if she could just speak German. "Would you mind if you lent me a quarter? I seem tol have lost one."

I breathed slowly as I turned. Standing in front of me was one of the most handsome men I had ever seen. Just my type, too: bad boy attitude and appearance. His corn rows were black, his lip ring a silver that glinted off the light. His clothes were baggy and XXXL, but somehow, they fit him perfectly.

"Sure," Morgan said in a flirtatious manner, holding the quarter at arms length, and placing one hand on her hip. "In trade for your name."

The man smirked at her. "Fine," he said, snatching the quarter. "But it goes vice versa. I'm Tom."

"And I'm Morgan. It's nice to meet you." Tom shook Morgan's hand warmly, with an affection that Morgan had never felt from a guy before.

"So, how much information do I have to give to you to get your number?" Morgan blushed.

"Only your number." Morgan said quietly. She played with the strings hanging from her skinny jeans, and pulled on her Escape The Fate t-shirt.

Tom smiled, taking her phone and typing in his number. She did the same, and watched as he waved and walked out of the laundromat.

"Micah!" Morgan called to her brother, a seventeen year old with a love of Vans, skinny jeans, and plaid. "Mi-CAH!"

"What, Morgie?" he called from the apartment that they were renting for a month that summer.

"I got some guys number at thelaundromat," Morgan told him,as he walked downstairs soaking wet from a recent shower."He was so hot, dude."

"And I should care, why?" Micah asked in that usually sarcastic tone of his.

"Because I'm going back to the laundromat to see if I can catch him again tomorrow. So give me your dirty clothes thatyou hid underyourbed. I'll look like I'm doing something other than staring at him."

"Boy crazy..." Micah mumbled under his breath as he walked back to his room.

The next day, Morgan repeated her planned routine, and went to the laundromat at the exact same time she had the day before, hoping to catch Tom. She threw the dark clothes into the washer, watching the water splash and the soap bubbles pop.

Swish.

Swish.

Swish, swish swish swish, _swirl..._

Then, as if right on cue, Tom tapped Morgan on the shoulder. "Hi," he said. "I figured you'd be here."

"Same. Do you have my quarter?" Tom's eyes went wide, making Morgan laugh, and he slapped himself in the side of the head.

"I'm sorry! I swear I'll get it to you, really." Morgan giggled, a giggle similar to that of tiny ice cream jingle-bells.

"It's fine, really." Morgan said. "You know, I'm free tonight. And there's a movie theater three blocks down from here. Do you wanna...?"

Tom smiled. "Well, yeah. I would love to!" He said it with enthusiasm.

"Great!" Morgan grinned. "I'll see you then."

"Awesome, and, I promise I'll bring your quarter." Morgan watched again as he waved and walked out the door.

That night, Morgan put on her usual ed skinnty jeans and t-shirt. She put on some black Converse and walked out the door, a new chapter beginning for her relationship with Tom.

_

MORGAN'S POV  
Tom and I have grown so much closer together since the three weeks that I met him. But the month that I was to spend in Germany has finally ended; I was leaving in two days.

We were in his car, driving back to my place. He looked at me with eyes filled with sorrow; our summer fling was over, and our romance ending. I didn't want it to, though.

"Morgie, can't you stay?" Tom asked with desperation in his voice.

"I wish I could." I said with sorrow. "I really do...but my parents want my brother and I home and if I don't show up at the airport with him, I'm dead. Then you'll really ever hear from me again." Tom laughed at my quip.

"I guess this...this is goodbye?" Tom kissed my lips softly.

"Not goodbye," I said when we parted, taking his hands. "Just saying hello from two different countries, by e-mail, phone, and letters." Tom laughed again.

The next day, I revisited the laundromat, finishing up the whites that I hadn't done days ago. They were dirtier more now than ever.

I picked up the pile of dirty clothes, and felt something fall to the ground. I figured Tom had thrown a paper airplane at me, like he had done so many times before in the past few weeks I had known him. But no; it was a simple white envelope, marked with my name in sloppy script. It was Tom's handwriting. I ripped it open quickly and read.

 _"You were special, you were different. You are mine. Ich verspreche, ich liebe dich."_

I read the words aloud, immitating the way his voice were to sound if he read it. I smiled, tears coming to my eyes and blurring my already horrible vision. I saw there was a fold in the bottom of the letter. Carefully, I allowed the fold to come down and it's contents to fall.

A quarter.


	30. Teach Me To Love Again

"Rachel, don't cry." Marcus felt tears coming to his own eyes, contradicting himself.  
"I love you, Marcus." Rachel said. Marcus looked at the IV in his arm and the monitor tracking his heart beat. It was slowing down.  
"I love you too, Rachie." As Marcus held his pale hand above Rachel's wrist, tracing the outline of her smiley face tattoo. "And this."  
He lifted his frail fingers and touched Rachel's lips. She whimpered a little, knowing that as the monitor went dead, that was the last time she would see Marcus alive.

When Rachel lost Marcus to brain cancer at seventeen, it was the most devastating moment of her life. To lose the guy she had been best friends with since she was in second grade, and then dating him for three years, was harder than expected. And when he died, she vowed he was her only exception. The only person she would ever even consider giving her entire heart to.  
And then she met Gustav Schafer.  
Rachel had been singing in bars when she came across her agent Bethany. Bethany realized how much talent Rachel had very quickly. Rachel had that punk-ish look: piercings all along her ears, nose ring, tattoos and clothing. Her voice matched that of raw singers like P!nk, and it caught everyone's attention.  
As Rachel stepped through the doors of the arena where she would be opening her very own concert with Tokio Hotel, it was a wonder she didn't pass out on the spot. The dreams had finally come true, the waiting had come to an end, the constant auditioning and job interviews had ceased. This was her moment and hers only.  
"Rachie." Marcus's voice whispered to her through the still air. "I'm so proud of you."  
"I'm so proud of us." Rachel smiled, speaking to the empty arena. It was at times like these - times when Marcus's spirit was right next to her - that she felt the safest.  
Gustav's hands interrupted her conversation with the dead spirit when he placed them on her waist. "Rachie," he whispered into her ear. "I'm so proud of you."  
These words stung her stomach and made her feel sick. Only Marcus could say that to her.  
"Thanks." she replied to him briskly, and walked away. She hopped up onto the stage and examined the diamond studded microphone that she kept with her at all times - like Marcus's spirit, she felt safest when she had it.  
"This is your moment, only yours." Marcus's words went through her head. Rachel smiled at the ground. It was reassuring to know that even when he wasn't here, he was right next to her.  
"Are you excited?" Gustav called up from below the stage. Rachel's tone changed as she spoke to him. It was warm and vibrant.  
"Absolutely!" she called down. "My own concert...this is a dream come true." She sat down, skinny jean - clad legs falling over the side of the stage. Gustav sat in the same position.  
"I miss talking to you like this," he said, reaching over to kiss her lips. "Just you and me..."  
As his face inched toward her, all she would see was Marcus. Marcus's black hair, icy blue eyes, pale skin with his perfect complexion. Rachel jumped back away from him, startling Gustav. She heard Marcus's cold words..."Why Rachie?"  
"What's wrong with you?"Gustav almost yelled. He jumped up so quickly he nearly fell off the five foot high stage.  
"I don't want to kiss you right now." She looked at her feet, expecting to hear Marcus's voice congratulating her for rejecting Gustav's affections. But all she heard was the penetrating silence - she couldn't think of what to say this time, and Marcus's spirit wasn't there to fill in the blanks.  
Gustav said nothing, just shook his head and walked down the stage stairs. "This is about Marcus isn't it?" he said, spitting his rage at her. "Because you can't get over it?"  
Rachel felt her anger boil. "Get over it? I know you for two fucking months...I knew him for half of my life! And he's not coming back!"  
Rachel tried hopping off of the stage dramatically, but her wrist scraped against the metal edged bar. She hissed at the pain and looked at the wound. A drop of blood came from her smiley - face tattoo's eye. A bloody tear.  
"Let it go." Rachel heard a voice say. She couldn't tell though, if it was Marcus Gustav. The voices overlapped each other...for once, they were both telling her to do the exact same thing.  
Rachel looked at her tattoo with blurry eyes - the shape of the ink could barely be made out as the tears filled up her eyes. "I can't," she gritted her teeth. "I won't."  
"Be happy." The voices said to her. "Let it go." Slowly, it became Marcus's voice again.  
"Let it go, Rachie." She felt his smile as he said the words. "Let me go."  
Rachel took hold of Gustav's hand as he stood in front of her with stormy eyes. "I want to let go. I want to be happy." She swallowed before she said the next words.  
"I want to love again," she said stiffly. But for once, the words didn't feel all too stiff. They weren't jagged, they weren't a double edged sword. They were meaningly. But they were regretful for what - who - they had once said them too.  
Gustav smiled and gripped her hand as he saw the color come into her cheeks. For the first time in a long time, Rachel had softened. Rachel had learned to love again. 


	31. Ich liebe Sie fur immer

I walked into the club and over to the bar. I was supposed to be meeting my best friend Bill Kaulitz here for a surprise. Yes, Bill Kaulitz, the singer from Tokio Hotel, **that** one! We have been friends since I moved to Germany when I was 8. I'm almost 16 now. Bill and Tom are 18, Georg and my brother Gustav are 17. I moved into an apartment with the four of them when they formed the band. Actually my parents kicked us out. They didn't approve of the band. Anyway I walked over to the bar and I ordered a drink and waited when Bill and Tom walked on the stage followed by Georg and Gustav, carrying their instruments.  
They started playing one of my favorites of their songs'By Your Side'.The rest of the gig I couldn't help but stare at Bill. He caught me several times and would wink or wave. You could say that we are insepreable, I think I love him, ok getting a little caught up here... so we'll call it a little 'crush'. But why would he like me, an average girl with long brown hair and wayyyy too skinny, I'm short at only 5'4, my eyes are brown as they could be. Way to make myself feel good!  
"Hey," Bill said as he came over to me when the gig was over.  
"Hey, that was great."  
"Yea, you always say that."  
"Well, it's true."  
"Yea, I on to a different topic. Why were you staring at me?"  
"Because you are sooooo ugly." I teased.  
"Well then!"  
"Yep,"  
"I'll have you know I've been told I'm the good looking twin."  
"Say's who?"  
"The fans."  
"That would explain why Tom get's bras and other un-mentionables thrown at HIM!Besides your indentical twins! If you and Tom changed your senses of style, you wouldn't be able to tell who is who." I said laughing.  
"I guess, and well that proves he's just a man-whore."  
"Tom is like sex on legs!"  
"A stereo-type and how would you know?!"  
"Not what the fan's say and I'm guessing?!"  
"I bet I could be too." he said and gave me his charming, heart-melting, one-of-a-kind smile.  
"Oh, really. Prove it." I smirked  
"On who?"  
"I don't know."  
He looked around and seeing that no one but us was still here, besides the bartender who was a middle-aged man, I was the victim.  
"Well, that guy isn't exactly my type..."  
"Are you-?"  
"NO! He just looks like he's not my type."  
"What is your type?"  
"Someone who is smart, pretty, not all about fame and money, a girl wayyy too skinny for her own good, kinda short, dark brown hair and eyes..."  
 _OMFG! Note to self: My bff and crush Bill Kaulitz likes me!_  
"Bill-"  
"I understand, I just tho-"  
"Shut up, Bill I like you."  
"Thought that you should kno- what?! Oh wow!Lottie I just wanted to tell you for so long, that I liked you, Tom said it was stupid to tell you and you not feel the same."  
I laughed, "I wanted to tell you too and Tom is an idiot! Your my best friend and my brother's friend...plus we live together."  
"We've been best friends since we were kids, why not try this?"  
"No reason not too... so are you asking me out?"  
"Only if you want too? Do you?"  
"YES!"  
He laughed and kissed my lips softly and not more then a second later they were gone. I wanted more so I gave Bill my little puppy dog pout. He laughed and leaned in again.  
I felt a small spark and then BOOM! Fireworks and lightning, an explosion between us.  
We pulled away, "Woah!"  
"Lottie, I love you."  
"Bill, I love you too."  
"Awwww!"  
Tom, Georg, and Gustav were standing behind us watching.  
Bill got a scared look on his face when he saw Gustav. But his face wasn't mad, shocked-yes, but he looked more surprised then anything.  
"Bill, if you hurt her, I swear I will kill you and make it look like an accident! The band will go on, Tom will be a happy only child."  
We all bust up laughing except for Bill, "You'd like that wouldn't you?"  
"No, how could I live without my Billy-Boo." I said, smirking at my 8 year-old nickname for Bill.  
"You couldn't Lottie-Cake."  
"I'll liebe Siefür immer, Lottie."  
"I"ll liebe Sie länger, Bill."  
A round of "awww's" once again and we sealed it with a kiss.  
bill_kaulitz_ 


	32. Picture This, The Two Of Us Together

"Jennifer, they're ready for you. You set up?" the director asked.  
"Yea, tell the guys that they can come out now." I said. Let me bring you up to speed. My name is Jeniffer and I am 19 years old. I am a photographer for Rolling Stone magazine. I am doing this long photoshoot today for this band. I'm sorry not any band. I'm working with the German-emo band, Tokio Hotel.  
I froze as the four boys walked out onto the set. There was an emo looking boy and I knew his twin brother who looked sorta pimp-gangster-ish with his clothes 3x's too big and dreads. Then a small blond boy and a boy with long dark brown hair.  
"Hi, I'm Bill." the emo boy said.  
"Hello, sweet-thang, I'm Tom. The sexier twin." gangster boy said.  
"Hi, I'm Gustav." the small blond said  
"Um-hi- I'- I-m uh ah...," stutteredthe last boy.  
I'm a little strange that I think that the thick German accent is kinda hott! The other three exploded with laughter.  
"That's Georg." Bill said still laughing.  
Georg was like a billion milion shades of red. It was kinda cute. I find it a little hard to believe that a famous rockstar like him could blush like that!  
"Okay, guys." I said still giggling, "I'm Jeniffer."  
So after that I got straight to work having the guys doing their poses with their instruments and then each other. Goofing off every so often. I did groups shots of the band, just Bill and Tom, then individuals of each of them. Then came Georg.  
Each of them would talk to me and try to get me to laugh or something. Tom was flirting enough for all of them. Wow he was really interested. In his case it was non-stop. Instead of ignoring him, I told him I was engaged. That shut him up real quick.  
Now it was Georg's turn.  
"So...your a photographer, huh?"  
"Yea, pays the bills." I said laughing.  
"You should really get out from behind the camera, you're too pretty to be behind it all the time.  
"Yea, ok Tom has flirted enough for all of you." I said.  
"I'm serious, you're really cute."  
"Bill would be a cuter girl than me."  
"No, I don't think that anyone could be cuter or prettier or anything." he said, by now we were both blushing like crazy.  
"You're such a liar." I said laughing.  
"Sooo, you're engaged?" he asked.  
"No way! I just told Tom that so he would stop flirting with me." I saidgiggling again.  
"Really?"  
"Yea, besides I like someone else."  
"Oh, yea who might the lucky guy be?" he asked sadly  
"Well, let's see... he's funny, extremely famous, in a band, sweet, probably doesn't want to get envolved with any fan or girl that he works with."  
"I wouldn't know, beats me."  
"You should know him, your extremely close."  
"It's not Tom or Bill right?"  
"No way"  
"Gustav?"  
"No! His initials I believe are GL."  
"Ohhhhhhh, I think I know who that is." he said smirking.  
At that, he walked over and I threw down my camera. He threw his arms around me and thrust our lips together.  
God, they were so soft and felt sooo good. He picked me up and spun me around still holding me close. Our lips never unlocking through it all.  
It was like fire fusing between them. Fireworks catching fire and being caught by lightning.  
"Wow!"  
"Yea, that was amazing. No girl has ever kissed me that way!"  
"Really?"  
"Yea, and of course you've left me craving more, you're the addiction I need, my other half, I'm delirious, can't resist! Be mine?!"  
"Yes!"  
"You shall be mine."  
"Picture this, the two of us together forever." And with that his lips again glued to mine where they shall stay forever. Lips attached camera flash!


	33. Our Untitled Love Story

Wow! You would think that for as popular as he is, he couldn't be any more conceeded. Wrong! He could! Oh how I hate him! Truth is, I've never had an actual conversation with him. Ignoring him works better.

Him= the unbelievably awful horribly popular selfish, 'I would hate to be the only 2 people on earth and it would be up to us to bring back the human population', self-absorbed, and one and hopefully only... Bill Kaulitz.

My hatered and anger towards him began all back in the 7th grade. He himself being the emo cool guy labled me the fat ugly emo kid. Then in 8th grade, I came in second in the talent show with my band and he did a horrible immatation of me singing in front of the entire school. In the 9th grade, he put a 'love note' in my lockerjust to embarass me. Finally in the 10th grade, hewrote my name and number all over the boys bathroom wall and prank called me for a whole month! I think that maybe after all this time, his maturity leval actually decreased.  
Now today I was getting by books together and making my way to the door when I ran into someone, knocking both us down on the floor, paper flying everywhere.  
"Im so sorry, Jeanna? Is it?" said whoever knocked me over.  
I looked up and stared straight into the eyes of Bill Kaulitz. IgnoringBill, I stood up collecting my books off the floor.  
"Look Jeanna, I'm sorry, are you okay?"he asked concerned.  
"Don't try to act concerned about me!" I spat walking out the door.  
"Jeanna..." he shouted, but I just ignored him and kept on walking.  
Finally, I can go home. It was the end of the day and I was getting books out my locker when I noticed someone standing beside me... _Bill Kaulitz._  
"Jeanna... I wanted to ask you something,"Bill stammered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.  
By now everyone who was in the corridor was staring at being popular for his looks and talents, me being known for being as his victim.  
I turned around looking at him.  
"Well?" I asked, annoyed at the fact he was still here.  
"I was wondering if... you know... sometime maybe youd like to go out... on a date?" he said nervously, whispering the last part.  
Everyone in thehall burst out laughing "Good oneBil!" someone shouted out.  
"Who would want to go out with a freak like her?!" someone else yelled.  
Tears were in my eyes. I shook my head atBill and ran out the school doors into the yard, heading for the parking lot.  
Okay, I admit I might have had a little crush on him, but how could he have done that in front of the **whole** school.  
Jeanna! WAIT! I heard someone call...no not some one _but Bill Kaulitz._  
I started running towards the gates. "Wait..." he heard before his hand caught my arm, spinning me around.  
"Jeanna, I was serious about going out, I'm sorry I didn't expect them laughing, please give me a chance, I **really** like you!" he signed.  
"You've got a funny way of showing it!" I spat. "Please!" he shouted.  
"Why shouldI believe you?!" I yelled.  
"Because it'sthetruth!"  
"You're a liar!"  
"I like you, why would I lie about that?!"  
"Because you liketo embarrass me and make me miserable!"  
"Will you give me a chance?"  
"Why should I?"  
"I love you!"  
"This is just another one of your tricks isn't it?!"  
"No! I'm serious! I was scared to tell you! I always have!"  
"Prove it!"  
"Fine then!"  
He pulled me closerto him and crashed his lips against kiss was warm and tender and I felt for a moment that it was true.  
He pulled away and looked me in the eyes.  
"I told you, I loveyou."  
"This isn't a trick?"  
"No, please will you go out with me?" he asked his eyes pleading.  
"If you promise me that this isn't another trick or something."  
"Never again!"  
"I love you too."


	34. My Angel

I counted the tiles of the ceiling carefully. One would think I was OCD, but it was really just the fact I was bored. The ER ward of the hospital was strangley quiet tonight. I was sitting in the lounge area for the families outside of the patients rooms. A lot of people can't handle the thought of being here. The thought of hospitals creeps them out and makes them feel sick. It doesnt bother me. But why was I here in the first place? Well, the love of my life and I met here. I laughed at the memory of me waking up to her face thinking that she was an angel and that I had died during surgery because something had gone horribly wrong. Now, I was sick or anything but I loved her and every day since I was released, we went out.

"Bill!" that familar voice called, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Ember approached me and wrapped her arms around my neck kissing me softly. "What were you all smily about?" She asked, her green eyes staring deeply into my dark browns.

"Just thinking about you." I smiled. She laughed lightly and I took my hand in hers walking through the doors. She nodded goodnight to the nurse at the desk and fellow doctors in the hallway as we walked out into the early autumn night.

She shivered slightly and I pulled her closer. We walked into our usual stop for our date nights, the beach near our favorite diner. We took off our shoes and walked in the cool sand.

I held her tightly and she rested her head on my shoulder. "Ember?" she asked as we layed in the sand staring up at the stars.

"Yeah?" she asked flipping over, propping herself up on her elbow.

"You remember what I said, when you asked how much I loved you?" I asked hopefully.

"Of course! I asked you how much and you said you'd get me the moon, the sun, the stars, whatever I wanted." she said giggling.

"And what do you want?" I asked curiously.

"Hmmm," she said preending to stoke her chin in a thinking way, "I think I'd be perfectly happy with just you."

"I was hoping you'd say that." I smirked. I kissed her softly. "I actually have a present for you..."

"Oh, really?"

I pulled a piece of paper out of my pocket and handed it to her. She raised an eyevorw slightly confused and read over it.

"I mean I love the song, but I don't think I mess up the lyrics too bad for you to write them out for me." She said confused.

"No," I said shaking my head laughing. "This song was what always reminded me of you." I said laughing.

"Really? I find that song very very sexy." She purred, pushing her lips to mine.

"Well, wait theres more." I said pulling away. I got down in front of her on one knee.

"Oh my god, Bill." She whispered/gasped as I opened the box. It was her favorite, a perfect white diamond ring with a black sapphire one each side.

"Ok, Ember, I know that we've only been together a year and to me that doesn't matter. I love you so much, more then you know. I never thought that I would meet someone as perfect as you. I still think of you as an angel. Will you marry me?" I said shaking with nervousness.

"Bill, of course! I love you so much!" she said throwing her arms around my neck kissing me passionatly. I slipped the ring onto her finger and spun her around kissing her.

"Look inside, at the inscription." I told her.

She took of the ring and in the moonlight shone- My Angel.


	35. Took You Long Enough

"Are we cool?"

"Hell yeah, we are," I said to Georg without blinking.

I clenched my fist, suddenly having second thoughts. The next second, I felt nothing. Daniela and I are nothing.

"Good," Georg smiled. "Because I won't ever fight with you over a girl." He looked really happy and he slapped me on the back. "You never really told me what happened, you know."

"Nothing happened."

"Oh, come on."

I rubbed my face and sighed. I tried to compress the past few days in a few sentences. "It's nothing" I said, "I got drunk at Dani's party, remember?"

"Her birthday, yeah," Georg said. We've been to three in four days, you see. I've gotten drunk at all of them.

I nodded. "Yes, and we..." I shrugged.

Georg stared at me. "Uh huh?"

There was a sudden guilty conscience in me.

My best friend broke into a smile. "You kissed, didn't you?"

I sighed, running my hands through by newly dyed blonde hair.

"Did you guys..."

I covered my face. "We were so close." Yeah, I was pretty much "drunk".

Georg's smile faded. "Oh."

"But we didn't. We were drunk. I mean, I said 'I love you' to her. We talked about it last night, but that didn't mean anything."

"If you say so," Georg shrugged, getting up to go straighten his hair. It was a daily morning routine.

I punched his shoulder. "Dude, relax. She's yours."

I guess she is.

Tom kicked my leg and I let out a groan. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I saw you and Gustav kissing yesterday. No, that was the night before. Damn me and my hangover. And you guys went up and then?" He smirked at me.

"You asshole," I rolled my eyes. I didn't know what to say. But I came up with something, anyway. "Nothing."

Tom steered his racing cart away from mine when I went closer. Mario Kart was pretty crazy. "Please, Dani," he snickered. "You need to lie better."

I looked at my best friend. Well, everyone's my best friend. Tom's the pervert best friend. "Yeah," I said. "Whatever. Just let me finish my breakfast." I stuffed some peanut butter cups into my mouth, the cereal.

Tom kept sniggering at me and I decided to give him a kick in the shin in which his reaction to was to shout at me. "OUCH!"

I laughed my best in a while and replied, "Mind your own business, okay?"

The next moment, Bill came jumping down the stairs. And by jumping, I mean literally. He even hopped over the railings when he reached the floor. "Guten Morgen!" He piped.

Gustav and Georg soon followed. I passed Tom a death glare when he coughed really, really loud. It was so obvious I could have killed him right there and then.

"Uh, Bill," Tom started. "I think I want some McDonald's right now!"

Bill and Tom shared a mutual stare and Bill seemed to be getting some kind of virtual information from the other twin. It was a twin thing. Damn you, Kaulitz! "Ja, let's go!"

And he didn't ask me along. Right. Because I was already having my cereal. I made no sound and Gustav reached for his jacket. "Where are you going?" I asked.

"McDonald's," he said, looking at me halfway before nodding and he left. I could hear Bill and Tom asking him to go back in but he wasn't going to.

Georg sat in front of me. He passed me a brilliant smile. Hey, this guy always had a brilliant smile. Perfect teeth, pretty lips, a pair of subtle green eyes to stare into and get lost in...

"Morning, Daniela," he said, breaking my train of thought. He walked to the fridge to get something. Did I mention, the boys always make themselves home at my place. Well, yeah, they already stayed the night but that's not the point. As long as nothing was broken (including me), my parents were cool with it. Hey, we've been friends since we were 10.

"Good morning," I said to him. I had to admit, I had a crush on Georg when I first met him. He had that same pretty eyes and laid-back style and that crazy hair. Now, it's totally straight. He's grown into someone really handsome and I was intimidated. His hair's not the only thing that changed, I had a feeling he liked me. The thing was, I didn't like him anymore. Not since when he was gone for a long time. Not since yesterday.

Everything was so confusing.

Put it this way. For the past few years since I met the boys, I was attracted to Georg. Just lately, it was Gustav. Just lately. My feelings for Georg were, as I decided to call it, mere fangirl feelings.

Once again, he looked at me. "You feel like going out?" He asked. He had a permanent smile on his face as he poured some orange juice.

I shrugged, blushing. I knew I was. It was hard not to get nervous around him when he likes me. I'm fine with the twins because . . . well . . . they're normal people. Gustav? Don't ask.

I gave it some quick thought. The next thing I did was put my cereal in the sink and turn to Georg who was drinking halfway. If Gustav is being an asshole about it, so will I.

"Um, so?" He was half-grinning in a cute way, kind of confused, too.

"Let's go," I said to him as I headed to grab my jacket.

Bill and Tom were sucking blood out of me all night when they were playing Mario Kart. It was like the only thing they could play at that moment and the only thing that they cared about. I was bored to death and Georg and Daniela weren't back yet. Maybe I shouldn't get too used to Dani's cooking. That's such a stupid thing to do. I can cook, can't I? Hell, I could even buy a bakery.

I got up and finished my second can of beer before throwing all the trash away as the twins went on and on, racing to the ends of the earth. All they were eating were chips and drinking soda. I looked in the fridge and saw a frozen pizza but really, I shouldn't mess with Dani's oven. I haven't used one in years and I'd rather not screw this up or her parents are going to fry me.

I sat at the counter and watched Bill and Tom from there. I started to think back to the time we first met. Dani was Tom's project mate and Georg, Bill and I met her at a show. Time passed and she became close with Tom. Then me. And it's still me but I think now, it's Georg's turn. Not to add, he likes her. My best friend likes my best friend. How weird, huh?

Last night... Well, I can't believe I kissed her. I never thought I would. I bet she never, either. I only see her twice or thrice a year and it's always a friendly kiss on the cheek, not some half-drunk one on the lips with tongue and all...

Did I mention half-drunk? I was still sane, but what was I thinking? I think I fell for her last night. Suddenly. Maybe I always did but I never realized it. I'm such an idiot.

Then there was a joyous roar. I snapped out of it and saw that Georg and Dani had returned and that Bill had opened the door so wide to reveal so much more.

"GOTCHA!" Bill shouted. Tom laughed.

Georg and Dani looked surprised. Georg was just lifting his head up from in between them... Was he kissing her hand?!

My stomach growled the same time I did.

Gustav took one look and went straight up the stairs. I expected a loud bang but the door closed normally. I quickly pulled away from Georg's hand and looked at him, seeing that he had an embarrassed look on.

"Bill," Georg started. "What the hell. You freaked us out."

"I'm sorry," Bill laughed. "We heard you pull up so we had to do that when you were taking too long!"

"Yeah, but still—"

"I'm fine," I said, shaking my head. I sighed and went in and threw my coat at Tom.

"Daniela?" Tom called after me.

I went straight up to my room, closing the door.

The morning after, Daniela and Gustav appeared normal. Georg and Daniela went out everyday for a week straight and did many things Daniela was surprised Georg even thought of. Bill and Tom met up with old friends and Gustav stayed home mostly, working out and trying to get himself together.

Gustav didn't like seeing Dani and Georg coming home each night together, hand in hand, but he knew he promised Georg that he was free to go after his best friend. It was a fair game.

"A fair game," Gustav said to himself as he let go of the dumbbells. He stared into space. "It's a fair game."

He straightened himself and clenched his fists. After taking a quick shower, he jumped into his car and drove to where Georg mentioned he would be that afternoon.

The bowling alley was full that afternoon as Georg started to wear his bowling shoes. Daniela was already ready, sitting beside him and tying her brown-black hair high up as possible. The local people knew who Tokio Hotel were and didn't really bother. It was only in Magdeburg that the boys could feel as normal as possible. It wasn't entirely normal because Georg had a bodyguard sitting right across him. And Daniela was used to it.

"Let's find our balls," Georg said to her when he was done.

Daniela stared at him and grinned, almost laughing.

Georg blushed. "What? Sorry." He tied his hair as well as they walked to pick the bowling balls.

"Nah," Dani said. She smiled to herself and relished each moment with Georg. The more they went out, the more chances she gave him, the more she felt like a sister to him.

Something wasn't right. "You okay?" Georg said to Daniela. He carried an orange bowling ball that she picked out.

She sighed and looked down at her feet. "Georg," she started. "I really like you."

Georg immediately lit.

"But..."

Gustav entered the place with his bodyguard behind him. Everyone stared at him for a while but ignored him later. The blond made his way down the alleys slowly and Georg soon caught sight of him while Daniela continued talking.

"Yeah?" Georg said.

"You're like a brother to me, one I never had."

Georg's heart sank. He put the bowling balls down, his and hers, and he touched her shoulders and put his forehead on hers. "Look, Dani," he said. "I know deep down how you feel about him so you should just tell him how you feel even though he's taking longer than he should to tell you how he feels."

Daniela looked up at Georg and saw that he was staring right past her. She turned to see Gustav a few alleys down, his hands awkwardly in his pockets.

Georg knew Gustav too well. He knew his best friend couldn't give her up that easily.

Gustav made his way towards the two and Daniela turned to see that Georg had returned to their alley to put the bowling balls down. Then he went out for what Daniela assumed to be for a smoke.

The blond drummer had his favorite cap on, the one Daniela bought him for his birthday. "Hi," he said to her.

"Yeah," Daniela said. She crossed her arms and bit on her lower lip.

"I'm so sorry," Gustav said. "It took me long enough to figure out that..."

Daniela waited for him to finish his sentence but realized he wasn't finishing his sentence. He could not find the words. "To figure out that that night meant something to you?"

Gustav sighed. "I never meant to do that to you, to ignore you and let Georg think it's even possible you'd like him. Because I know that..."

"He's not the one," Dani finished his sentence for him once again.

"Yeah," Gustav managed a small smile. "Dani, I loved you like a sister and I loved you like a best friend but now I want to love you in a different way because I found that when I kissed you, I felt different. I felt like I could be more than a brother you don't have and more than a best friend you already have. Maybe I could be _the one_."

"Maybe," Daniela said, nodding and her arms releasing. She had a small smile curled on her lips and her dark brown eyes twinkled momentarily.

"You don't know how I felt when I saw him kissing your hand. That looked so weird to me, Dani," Gustav revealed and gave a loud sigh of frustration. "I mean you guys maybe kissed normally but that was . . . really uncomfortable for me to see."

Daniela broke into laughter and wrapped her arms around Gustav's broad and thick waist. "You are unbelievable!" She grinned. "I got a little cut on my finger from the old gate and he was just licking the blood away."

Gustav's eyes widened. "Really?" He looked at the finger Daniela showed him. Indeed, it was covered in a purple band-aid.

"But he still licked your finger," Gustav mumbled.

"Maybe you can do that if we weren't so messed up, you know," Dani said as she pulled her arms back.

The young man smiled. "Can we start again?" He asked. "As normal people."

"I'm Dani," the girl said. She offered a hand.

Gustav was surprised at the quick restart. "Gustav," he said, shaking her hand with a small grin. "You want to play a game of bowling?"

Dani grinned and nodded. "Sure," she said. "My friend's outside taking a smoke. Mind if he joins?"

"No problem. Oh, wait," Gustav said. "Is his name Georg by any chance? I think I saw him going out just now."

Daniella could not resist a light snicker as they walked back to the alley. "Yup," she said. "He's like the brother I never had." She gently slipped her hand into his rough, drummer ones. Then she thought to herself how perfect she felt in his.


	36. You Remind Me

Bill shook the ticket in his hand. There it was. Alexis Avery to Hamburg, Germany. He watched as Alexis' eyes grew round and rounder, immersing himself in her obvious elation.

"You!" Alexis squeaked as she poked the young man's arms. "You got me a..."

"I want you to come to Germany with me," Bill smiled at her. "I've been here too long. I want to be home but I want to be with you. I couldn't decide and knew this was the only way."

Bill ran his eyes all over the girl as she took a deep breath. "It sounds like I'm going to be with you there forever." She instinctively let her eyes roam over the part of the ticket where the return date should be. She fell silent, noting there wasn't one. It was a one-way ticket.

"Do you expect so little of me, of us?" Bill said.

"But I can't," Alexis frowned. As much as she wanted to, she knew she couldn't just leave her home behind and go to a foreign land. Even if it was Bill. She had things unfinished. "It's too soon. The flight is tomorrow, Bill. I haven't seen my parents, I haven't seen my friends... Bill, I've not even packed!"

The tall and slender other stroked Alexis' cheeks, his lips pressed against hers as he spoke. "I'll give you anything you want over there. That's my home. I'll make it yours, too. I mean, we can come back and visit anytime, you know?"

Alexis felt shivers run down her spine. She could feel Bill's hands rub her back where the vibrations were and she knew Bill really wanted this. His heart was hers and hers his. Where he would go, she had promised him she would. She was only wondering if it was too soon. She wasn't ready to leave everything behind. Or maybe she was just scared.

Bill lifted her chin so that she could face him. His brown eyes stared deep into her eyes. In the privacy of his hotel room, one he had resided in for many months just to be with her, no one would find them. "Tell me what do you think," he said with a smile.

Alexis grinned, blushing as she pulled away and looked down. Her smile soon faded and she gave an audible sigh. As Bill put his arms around her waist, she spoke. "I love you a lot," she whispered.

"And apparently so because you really have been stressing out, haven't you?" Bill laughed and kissed her cheeks. He gave a gentle laugh when she stared at him in confusion.

"And apparently you think I'm joking when I say that I love you. Thanks a lot, Bill."

Bill shook his head, crossing his legs as Alexis looked on at him. "Happy birthday, Muffin."

The girl gasped lightly. It wasn't the cute nickname Bill had long ago given her, which was German for cupcake, nor was it the way he pronounced it, but something else. "Bill!"

The German boy laughed and slapped his thigh. "You really forgot!" He said. He looked at his watch and nodded as he looked at his girlfriend. "Yup. It's 12:04am. It's your birthday. I love you, Alexis."

He gave her a deep kiss when she least expected. She naturally embraced back and he pulled her over him onto the bed. Then he broke off and stared at her. "You're so cute."

"I know," Alexis smiled. "You always remind me."

"Come with me to Germany, okay?" Bill rested his hands on her waist. "You can always complete your classes online."

Alexis sighed. "I don't know." She laid on his body. She loved how it felt. Bill was strong ironically, and he could support her fine.

"But I love you," Bill pouted.

"You always remind me," Alexis couldn't help but grin.

Bill slowly and swiftly switched positions with her and he was now on top. "So I'll take that as a yes?"

"If you promise this isn't a kidnap, that I can see my family whenever I want, fly here for sometime?"

"Then that's a yes," Bill said, showering her glowing face with butterfly kisses.


	37. Something More Than Four Words

Tom wants to un-dread his hair. UN-DREAD. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? I would never live to see that day. He's never going to do it. I will tell him that. At least, if I ever had the fucking guts to.

Once again, I was ranting inside my head from where I was, beside my brother Gustav and watching Scrubs. It was an okay show. No love and no hate. Tom seems to really like it. I shall learn to love it. No, wait. It's dumb. I hate what JD does to the woman. It's . . . stupid. It doesn't make sense. And Tom laughs. Really loud.

Bill came into the scene and sat with Tom on the other couch. I was just staring at him in secrecy. I was good at doing such things. Then Gustav kicked my ankle and I glared at him. "What?" I said faintly.

"Bill's talking to you, Kenna," he rolled his eyes and his rolly eyes went back to the TV.

I turned to look at T—Bill. No, I did not just think Tom. He doesn't notice me. Ever. He's got so many girlfriends I've lost count. At least he said they were.

"Are you betting?" Bill asked, popping some Skittles in his mouth.

"Betting on what?" I asked. I had a soft voice apparently.

"Whether Tom would cut his dreads off," Bill answered.

"I am not cutting them off," Tom stared.

I joyously cheered—on the inside. "Hmm," I said.

Bill stared back at his twin. "Then what? I thought you said—"

"I'm going to get them un-dreaded."

My mind went blank. Didn't he say un-dread? How could I forget? He IS getting them un-dreaded. I loved his dreads. He's the only man I think looks good in that. Ever.

"Cool," I coughed out. I kept my eyes on the TV for two seconds more before going up the staircase. I hate my house. It gets too lonely even though there are people.

Georg was coming out of the shower and he was wrapped only around his lower half. My eyes almost fell out—from the fact that I was shocked. Stunned. Appalled. Don't get me wrong. Georg is good looking but the fact that my brother's best friend is half-naked before me, a nineteen-year-old helpless girl with helplessness and helpless genes, it just doesn't quite work. At all. The last time I saw something like this was six years back in our garage.

"Hey, Kenna," Georg said, towel-drying his hair. He sure makes himself home, walking around like some semi-naked god.

"Hi," I mumbled.

"You're so weird," Georg laughed. Thanks, Georg. I love that comment. Hey, do you know I get that a lot? I love it. Thanks. He's as bad as Tom. Idiots. But Tom is the idiot I miserably and pathetically feel something for.

I clenched my jaw. "Thank you," I murmured before shutting my door.

Four days and Gustav and company are still here. I skipped out on all my friends—or what I have of them—and stayed in my room most of the time while the boys get enough of "homeliness" or so what Georg says. He's annoying, but he's probably the nicest after Bill.

I wore my pink glasses and went down the stairs to the kitchen. It was close to six in the morning and God knew why I was so early. No, I was actually late. I stayed up.

I jumped, hearing some ruffling from the kitchen. Was a rat rummaging through my chips?!

"RAISE YOUR PAWS, YOU FOUR-LEGGED FREAKS!" I yelled as loud as the whole kitchen could hear, jumping in front of a tall and lanky thief with his eyes wide.

"Kenna?" Tom said. He put down his bag of chips. It was his. I remembered last night the boys were eating it. And evidently Tom yelled saying that the BBQ ones were his.

"Tom?" I blushed hard. Shut up, Kenna. SHUT UP.

Tom laughed. "You're so weird," Tom laughed again.

And then magic happens. He licked his lips. Goddamn. He's so cute. But he's a jerk. I shouldn't like him. He will NEVER like me anyway. He had a girlfriend last week, a nice sleep with some girl from the management... Guh.

And thank you Tom. I know I'm weird.

"You're the weird one coming down for chips at 6 in the morning," I retorted.

Tom suddenly inched closer to me, licking his lips again. I could see microscopically (even though in my head) the BBQ bits dissolving on his hot tongue. How do I even know it's hot?!

SHUT UP KENNA.

Tom spoke with a smirk. "I like when you say something more than four words, you know. At least I know you're human."

Damn you Tom. Why must you make me hate you and like you at the same time? How is that even possible?! My two-year-old crush on you is just killing me. Kenna shall not be stupid right now.

"Something more than four words."

STUPID KENNA.

STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID.

Tom stared at me. Then, he laughed. He laughed so loud he was clutching at the chips, the counter, his (abs and) stomach. He was laughing at me being dumb. "Oh, Kenna! You're so weird. You just make me laugh!"

Maybe that's one way you'd notice me, Tom. Maybe this way you know I exist. That I'm not just your friend's sister. Not your housemaid. Not your old best friend. Just a stupid, weird idiot who makes you laugh at six in the morning.

Go cut your dreads, you idiot.

I decided to ignore him. This was one of the times he makes me hate him. And I get slightly depressed even though I try not to show it. I made a little round and was making my way back out when I felt myself being pulled back. I swerved and then it hit me.

Tom kissed me.

Tom Kaulitz fucking kissed me.

He just shoved himself at my face and just forced it. But I wouldn't say it was a crime since it's pretty much consensual. I liked it.

His grip on my shoulders just tighten with each passing second and I was almost out of air and coughed all of a sudden. My eyes widened and I pulled away from him, pushing up my glasses with a stunned face. Legit.

"What... What was that?" I asked.

"Maybe that's one way you'd notice me, maybe this way you know I exist and that I'm not just your brother's friend, not your houseguest, not your old best friend. I'm just a stupid, weird idiot who's looking for another that's able to make me laugh at six in the morning. And I think I've found her."

Never in my life did I feel so much I felt like I could have combusted. Spontaneously.

"I don't get it."

Tom kissed my forehead and held me in his arms. "I thought you would have slapped me. Honestly. Maybe you should have."

"I really don't get it," I frowned. I did, but it was . . . it was impossible.

He pulled away slightly. "You don't feel the same? I thought..." Then he brought his hands back. "I'm so sorry, Kenna. I thought you... We..."

I took a deep breath and pulled his hands back and said, "That . . . was _fucking_ _sexy_ , Tom. And I wish you could do that again."

Tom stared at me. "Kenna. That's . . . a really long sentence. And a hot one, too."

"Something more than four words," I tried not to smile as I pulled at his dreads.

He grinned. And he bit down on his lower lip, on his lip ring. His tongue flicked at it and he leaned in to kiss me. Again.


	38. One More Lucky Guy

The Philippines. It's a beautiful place. Manila is really happening and the girls there look like an exotic blend of Spanish and whatever else it is. Apparently that's what most of the locals are. I think. I don't know. I _might_ be drunk.

"Tom!" Someone shouted.

"Ja!" I replied. Whoever it was. I turned around and saw Bill coming towards me with a huge mug of beer. I think it was that.

"There she is!" Bill piped, nudging me and pointing to the crowd on the dance floor.

My eyes immediately darted. There she was. This amazing beauty whose name I did not know yet I fell for her already. Long brown hair, or was it black? And big eyes that stared straight into my soul when our eyes met earlier.

"Shut up," I frowned. I decided to stop drinking so that I would not make a fool out of myself. Our crew was half-wasted. We needed _some_ one to be sane!

I kept my eyes on the girl. She was surrounded by guys and I felt a natural rage but I tried to keep my cool. Unless she was provoked. She seemed to have gotten through fine with her drinks and she met her two friends. Pretty, too, but only maybe second best.

Bill stared at her with me. Discreetly. "Plans?" He smiled.

I frowned and rubbed my face. "To get un-drunk," I sighed. He offered me his beer on purpose and I rejected it. He laughed.

"Un-drunk?" He said. "That's highly impossible."

"I'll try," I said. My eyes were kept fixated on one star. I needed to know her name.

According to Bill, it was close to three in the morning and the club closes at four. The girl stopped dancing a while ago and she started to smoke. And then I realized people were allowed to smoke. Which reminded me I need to smoke, too. But only in a designated area near the other end of the bar so that the dance floor won't be clogger. It could also have been dangerous to be dancing with a cigarette, wouldn't it?

I turned to see Bill, Gustav and Georg being drunk and believe it or not, Gustav had his pants off. What fun can guys have, really, without girls? And of course, they had a few pretty girls lingering around. Bill was getting cosy with a cute girl. Georg was exchanging intense stares with another while taking a smoke break. David Jost had two on either side and needless to say the other crew guys were already getting it on somewhere else.

I, ironically, felt no need for any girl. Just one. Not that I wanted to have sex with her (not that I would mind), but I wanted to know her. She was too good to let slip. Who knows when I'll come back to the Philippines for another show?

For the past hour, I've been drinking water and visiting the bathroom more than I'd like. I've been mostly detoxicated and proud. I put on my best and went forth beyond the VIP area. But wait, where was she now?

I squeezed through to the common smoking area but couldn't find her. Where was she?

My head ran wild trying to think up of all the possible places she could be. Her friends were still here. She couldn't be far. The toilet, maybe? So I waited outside it.

I checked my watch. Twenty minutes. She's still not out. She must be somewhere else. I looked back at the smoking are and... "Thank God," I mumbled to myself. I went towards her and she started moving away. She was not running from me, not running from anyone, just running out of the club. She looked beautiful even doing just that, running away. But from what, why?

I tried to be as normal as possible when I left the club through the back door. It was sleazy to a certain extent, seeing only one couple were just kissing against a car. I was distracted by a loud glass shattering somewhere beside me. My eyes widened when I saw her hurling yet another empty bottle at the wall.

"HEY!" I shouted, running to _her_ and holding her hands. I had to, seeing how she had apparently provoked a girl trying to get lucky with her boyfriend nearby and they almost got trashed by a beer bottle.

"I DIDN'T SEE YOU, OKAY!" _She_ shouted at the older female who was obviously irked. They started to quarrel, _she_ in English and the other in Tagalog. I quickly held _her_ back and the fight ended. I could never imagine her being so angry.

"Hey, hey," I said to her in a calming tone. "Relax, relax. Come on."

She turned to look at me with a beautiful death glare. I felt the pain from it, how she must have hated my guts. "Who are you?" She shouted. And then her face fell. "Oh, God." She covered her face and turned away.

I was confused.

"What's wrong?"

And then it hit me. Did she . . . recognize me?

"What's wrong?" I asked again, my fingers grazing her arm. I wasn't sure if I should touch her at all. Then I shook my head and decided to just get on with it. "What were you doing? You could have killed somebody."

"And I wouldn't have minded!" She raised her voice. And then growling, she continued. "Look, just leave me alone, okay?"

"Why?" I asked.

She stared at me. "Why not? Just go back in and dance with one of your groupies. God."

It was an endearing bitch fit.

It took me a while before I decided to ask. "What's your name?"

She made no response before closing her eyes, breathing slowly as I walked round to look at her. I must be annoying but since it got this far and this interesting, I was only spurred on.

"Shanna."

"And what happened, Shanna?"

She clenched her jaw. I could see her flawless skin tighten and her long lashes moving rapidly as she tried to think of something to say. It wasn't long before some tears fell. But she quickly wiped them away.

"My boyfriend just—" And then she laughed through her tears. "Jesus Christ, I can't believe I'm telling you about this. _God_ , what am I doing?" She shook her head in delirious confusion.

She did know me. I'm positive.

I kept quiet and stared at her. I wasn't going to leave her now. She can't be left alone.

"He . . . he broke up with me."

That's harsh. Who would break up with her?

"By text. While I'm drinking and having fun he breaks up with me. On my girls' night out he breaks up with me. While he's overseas he breaks up with me. It's so simple for guys, isn't it? And I thought distance makes the love grow fonder. What kind of bullshit is that?!" And she kicked a can in her way that deflected and hit me on the arm. I gave the most shocked yelp in my life and I swear I sounded like a girl. God forbid she heard me.

She did. Shanna laughed. She was laughing.

"Oh. My. God!" She chokes in between fits of giggles. She looked so much better when she's laughing. I, on the other hand, was truly embarrassed.

I tried my best to maintain my composure. "At least you're laughing again," I said. Hey, that can seriously shocked me. I didn't see it coming! God.

Shanna slowly ceased and rubbed her face. She shook her head. "Sorry," she said. "I'm sorry that happened. You didn't need to hear my problem."

I shouldn't have, but I'm glad I did. At least I know you're single.

"It's fine," I said aloud, half-smiling as I recovered from my humiliation. "Now I know one guy in the world who made a big loss."

Shanna broke into a smile. It was gorgeous, just like when she was having so much fun inside. And the smile faded slightly. "I never knew you could be so funny. In person." She looked at me.

I shrugged and reached out my hand. "Tom," I said. "I'm from Germany."

"Shanna," she took my hand. "From Philippines. Well, it depends. Manchmal gehe ich nach Amerika."

I was surprised. "Sie sprechen Deutsch?"

"Mein Vater ist Deutsch-Amerikaner."

"Geil," I said. I was just bubbling with excitement. She speaks German!


	39. The Finer Things In Life

Pheeora started trudging around the snow. Hamburg was especially chilly this time of the year. She pulled her thick black coat tighter around her and pulled the hood over her head, walking past rows of tall conifer trees.

She kicked around for a while, looking around her and making sure she was at the right place. It was already noon according to her phone and it was the Heidelpark garden she was told to wait at. Tom couldn't be lying to her. She rubbed her hands together and went to the bench nearby and sat in waiting.

From behind her, the bushes started to ruffle. A black and white spotted mutt started to sniff around her as it came out of its hiding place. Pheeroa realized it had a collar on and was curious enough to want to read the tag but decided against it since she wasn't sure if the dog was a dangerous one or not.

She stayed in silence, her big eyes wide and staring at the dog that appeared suddenly that was smelling her. Its cold, wet nose smeared against her face when it raised itself upon the bench right next to her. It was a big dog, and she wasn't sure if it was even supposed to be here.

"Shit," she mumbled to herself. The dog started to lick her face and suddenly, Pheeora saw black. Her eyes were covered by someone from behind. A smile immediately lit her pale face and she started laughing. "Tom Kaulitz," she said aloud before pulling his hands away.

Tom smiled at her and gave her a gentle peck on her head before coming round to the front to sit with her. Pheeora saw that he had on large black sunglasses and a black beanie. Everything else on him was also black. What a disguise.

"Sit, Scott," he motioned to his dog to get on the ground. It obediently complied.

"So this is Scott!" Pheeora had obviously never met the mutt before.

"Of course," Tom said. Scott was licking Tom's fingers before Tom wiped it on his pants.

Pheeora wrinkled her nose. "You're so not touching me," she said.

"Make me," Tom smirked before he leaned in to share a warm kiss with Pheeora. They pulled away. "Been here long?"

"Just a while. I was early. It's fine," Pheeora said. She started to shiver when a gust of wind blew past.

Tom laughed. "We could go into my car. Today was colder than I expected. Sorry about that."

"About what?" Pheeora asked.

The young man shook his head and grinned. "You'll see." He took her hand and they went to his Audi that was waiting for them round the corner.

Pheeora saw the car and they both went in it. Scott was behind and Tom had to say a few things in German to the dog in a firm voice. The immediate next thing she observed was the overpowering smell of something roasted. It was extremely mouthwatering and all Pheeora could picture was... "Ham?" She said.

Tom smiled. "Ham," he said. "Got them from the best in town."

She turned to see a beautiful picnic basket. Two, in fact. "A picnic?" She asked. "No wonder Scotty looks frustrated."

Tom gave a little grin. "I wanted to have some fun outside since we're always hiding . . . because of me. And I checked the weather today, it was supposed to be fine." He made a face. Pheeora couldn't resist but laugh and squeeze his hand that she was holding.

"That was really nice of you," she said. "We could always eat indoors," she said. "Maybe in your car."

The young man didn't refuse. "I thought you would never say," he said with a bright smile as he reached over with his long arm to take a basket to the front. He took off his shades and opened the basket, bringing out caviar and crackers. Pheeora was never used to foods like these but she knew with someone like Tom, this isn't uncommon.

"Looks good," the girl said, removing her scarf. She held the two glasses Tom brought out as he himself too the bottle of champagne.

"Yup," he said. "Okay, here it goes." He wound down the window and pointed the champagne bottle outwards before popping it open. Pheeora flinched when it popped, and the both watched interestedly as the cups filled up.

"This is beautiful," Pheeora said, taking out the little champagne grapes. On the dashboard were fine sandwiches and rolls of smoked salmon with peppers and herbs. There was even cream, blue and goat's cheese as Pheeora understood from the words on the packing. She never expected so much fine food.

Tom started to smear some caviar on the cracker and he fed the first to Pheeora. The girl laughed when bits fell off and onto her hand in which she licked up like a cat. There was a slight howl from behind and they remembered poor Scott all alone with the unopened basket of goodies.

"Here you go," Tom reached over and held for the dog to eat. "Make sure it's in your mouth, okay?" The way he spoke to the animal was like as if it was even bilingual. Pheeora loved how Tom acted like a father around Scott.

The two of them started to eat and talk about where the food came from. Pheeora enjoyed its taste. She used to think that normal food were the best and that all these savory foods were a waste of money but that afternoon, she saw it differently. Still, she was unused to eating expensive food like this.

"What are you thinking?" Tom asked suddenly. "You've been like this since we started eating."

Pheeora shook her head as she picked a few champagne grapes. "It's just that we always have pizza or pasta, or something out of the box, you know? Or McDonald's. This is just different."

Tom got worried. "You . . . don't like it?"

The girl broke into a smile. "What are you talking about, Tom?" She laughed. "I love it. I might even want to have this every single time."

The young man sighed a sigh of relief. "I thought you were mad at me or something."

"What for?"

"For buying such things for a picnic."

"Why?"

"Because you told me you never wanted fancy things," he said, quoting her and what she said on their first dates. He remembered Pheeora never wanted to receive expensive jewelry or fancy treatments, just his trust and honesty. It worked fine.

Pheeora rubbed his cheeks. "Tom, you're so thoughtful," she said. She was surprised he remembered.

He shrugged and blushed, although he tried not to show. "Well, I try," he said. "I figured the little things really matter. I can't stand having dates that aren't memorable enough, you know? Because I want to give you special things. Because you are special. So once in a while, I won't let you say no to the finer things that I _can_ afford, you know?"

"You have to shut up before I kiss you all over, you know?" Pheeora rolled her eyes with a smirk. She gave him a kiss where she rubbed his cheeks and Tom couldn't help but kiss her lips in return. Scotty howled in delight, watching his beloved owner's hovering caviar cracker.


	40. Rest Your Eyes, Erase Your Mind

This doesn't usually happen but this time I must be crazy, out of my mind—out of this world! She's right there in front of me. Pretty tall, pretty athletic and pretty . . . pretty.

I haven't heard her name yet but she's the girl who won the contest. I'm not into fan girls but she doesn't look like one. She's more uneasy than I recall any other previous contest winners being. She was well-dressed in a very relaxed way, kind of like a hippie. Her long, brown and curly hair had random green streaks and she had multiple piercings in both of her ears. This was definitely a wild girl. Inside, at least. I should not be stereotyping!

Bill kicked my shin, complaining about something. "You're not listening to me!"

"What?" I said.

"You have to take over, I don't care."

"Take what?" I frowned. Hippie girl was blocked by the makeup artists. She was getting made up. I cannot wait for when we are going to be officially introduced. I hope she's a normal girl, a nice girl.

Bill sighed. "Goddamn, are you deaf? I said you have to play the lead, not me. I cannot do it!"

"Why?" My eyes widened.

Bill frowned and turned his cheek to me and leaned in. I stared at his face.

"What the fuck?"

"THERE!" Bill pointed a a very light bump right smack in the middle of his left cheek with his purple nail. "A pimple! It's GROWING! I can't do this!"

My eyes widened. "Because of _that_!?"

"YES!" He stared at me like I was obnoxious.

"But that's almost nonexistent!"

"So you're not doing it," Georg walked towards us with a cup of coffee, smirking.

I rolled my eyes. "Pssh, we can't have you doing it!"

"Exactly," Bill teased along with me. "Oh, come on, Tom. It's already difficult enough having all the cameras film me from one side and the front. I don't want to do the whole love story thing. It's so not me and besides..."

"What?" I looked at him.

"You obviously have something going on . . . in your pants," my brother mocked.

I coughed out loud. "What?!" My face flushed but I hoped he wouldn't see me through. That's, actually, like saying a lion can't tell a prey from its own cub.

Georg snorted. "Time to get lucky," he said. "Gustav talked to her just now. She sounds really eccentric."

"Really?" I looked at him.

"See for yourself," Georg walked away.

Didn't I want this at first? God. I stared at her, the hippie I was fated to play lovers with in our next music video. Bill is such a girl.

"This is Rachel Tomlin," Carlos introduced. "Rachel, this is Tokio Hotel. And this is Tom, playing the guy in the video. Okay?"

"Okay," she said. Rachel. Tomlin. That's like me being Tom Rachelin. That's . . . dumb. Shut up, Tom.

Rachel never looked at me in the eyes. Bill decided to properly introduce himself. "Hi," he said. "I'm Bill."

"Rachel," she said sheepishly.

"Congratulations for winning!"

Rachel shrugged awkwardly. "Well, never my intention to, actually."

Georg looked amused, as amused as Bill was. Gustav smiled.

"Really?" Georg asked.

"My best friend secretly signed me for this contest. She entered it five times a day since the day it started hoping she could win this, so it could be like the most amazing present from her."

"Wow. So it's your birthday?" Bill asked.

"Just yesterday," she said, shrugging. "No big."

I looked at Rachel, still wondering if she was going to look at me. She glanced at me for a split second before we were told to get to our sets.

The whole afternoon, it was individual takes of us being lonely alongside walls, by windows, against doors and stuff like that. I was never an actor like that. I could act, yes, to tell girls I sleep with girls, but never an actor like _that_. It was a first for me. Bill is a big girl. He made a huge fuss when the cameraman filmed him from his "endangered" side. Rachel laughed a lot, but alone and in almost silence. She must enjoy watching him being all annoyed.

Then it came for the time when we were to be filmed together. This video part had to have Rachel and myself holding a few photographs and looking at it before it dropped on the floor and Rachel will "freeze in time" according to Bill who was part director for the video.

I just had to be handsome (it comes naturally because I already am) and watch Rachel as she was in her frozen state and "adore her beauty and fragility" like Bill wanted. It was all so demanding but I liked working with Rachel. We were quiet but her little actions made me notice her.

I realized she is actually really shy even though her short remarks made her appear extremely sarcastic. She's calm but intelligent, making almost everything she was doing correct. Bill hardly ever had to tell her what to do but on the other hand, he would never stop picking on me. There were countless times Bill shouted at me but I just laughed it off, telling him to go and act himself.

It was another scene of "frozen time" and Rachel had to be crying. She couldn't at first so they had to drop water droplets on her eye and then the camera started rolling. Gustav and Georg were always snickering at me. I could not help but roll my eyes each time I saw them whispering.

Rachel said, "Are they always like that?"

"Yes, and worse," I replied.

"Sounds like fantastic friends," she replied. Then she bit her lip and turned away.

"Three, two, one..." The director started the filming and the song started playing lightly in the background.

Momentarily, I forgot what it was I had to do but before I knew it, Rachel turned to look at me in the eye and held my hands up to her face to hold her. Then she did not move. She was so good at it! The song was climaxing and I could not look away from her. I started to caress her face, finally remembering the instructions Bill had given me, as Rachel was frozen in time. Then her tears started to roll down her face without her having to blink. It must have been a perfect shot!

It seemed like moments we were in this position. Rachel was really good, and I had to admit I fell for her talents as well. She's smart and funny from what I observed in the past few hours. She's also daring.

"GREAT!" Bill exclaimed. Carlos clapped and so did the crew, including Georg and Gustav. I quickly pulled away as Rachel did, wiping her eyes. Bill was so enthusiastic. "Now, the kiss!"

"The kiss?!" Rachel and I both said with widened eyes.

"So you have to be really relaxed," Bill told Rachel. "You look really nice now, really dramatic. Wait, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, even though I have to kiss your brother, Tom Kaulitz. I'm fine," she said sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes at her. Sharp but I like her already. "You won't be able to stop once you start, just a warning."

"I'll take my chances," Rachel shrugged. She did not look at me and I assumed she was shy.

Rachel and I went to our positions, both of us standing by the full length window surrounded by an arch of beautiful, fully bloomed red roses neatly trimmed. I never noticed it there before since it was blocked out by a huge divider that was a backdrop for our band playing our instruments.

"This is really amazing," Rachel breathed.

"My brother can really get into the mood," I said.

"Get us into the mood," she corrected me. I stared at her with a smile as she turned away from me.

"Are you nervous?" I asked.

Rachel took a deep breath and rubbed her arms. "I should be more than you are feeling right now, isn't it?"

I shrugged. "Let's just do this."

She nodded and stood in the center of the window overlooking the beautiful streets of Berlin, Germany where we were filming this in secrecy.

Für immer jetzt started to play.

"Okay, ready, one, two..."

I took a deep breath as "whisper me all your secrets" started to play. I was instructed to hold her from behind as she cried on and on and we mastered that in one take since we were being shot from the back. The whole time, Rachel wept. I couldn't remember if she had a lot of water droplets just now.

Then came the part I had to kiss her. We missed it the first time, waiting too long. Then Rachel looked at me. "Do you want to kiss me?"

I was stunned. "Uh, I have to," I said.

"Do you really want to?" She asked. "Because if you do, it would work much better."

I took a deep breath. "If you allow me," I said, "I will."

Rachel finally smiled at me. Bill pressed the button and the song started to play again.

Relax, relax.

Reset my eyes, erase my mind. Bill's lyric better work.

Rachel took my face and we started to kiss. At the end of it, we pulled away awkwardly and I whispered, ""Für immer du und ich."

Bill was impressed. "Now, the English version!"

" _Join me forever now_?" Rachel looked at Bill.

"Yes," Bill said. Carlos started giving more instructions.

"How was it?" I asked Rachel.

She looked at me. "Good," she nodded.

"So . . . we're doing it again," I said.

Rachel smiled. "This is pretty cool," she blushed lightly.

"I'm pretty lucky right now," I mumbled. The both of us laughed, having a little moment no one else would understand. Eccentric? Not until you know her better.


	41. Blue Christmas

"Mike you can just fuck off," I spat. My hands shook as I stormed out of the department. He's an asshole in anyway you can imagine. I never knew what I saw in him. Time and time again, I let him in. I let him get close to me only to see him let me down, get really close with other girls and shit. I don't know what I'm doing. He was just really nice . . . really nice when Tom wasn't around.

Almost a year ago I met Mike at work. He's cute and he tells me really sweet things, things I've always wanted to hear. I already knew Tom then and I knew Mike was just going to be another friend like CJ and Anthony. They're my best friends and they know that's all that they're going to be. Besides, they've got girlfriends I really like. It's all good.

Each time Tom was gone, and when I mean gone I mean for four to six months at one shot, I would get really lonely. I would never do anything that would hurt Tom or make me feel like a slut, and I know you get what I mean, but sometimes you just get too alone. Christmas is nearing and Tom isn't coming to New Jersey. This year, he's going to his stepfather's for Christmas and I don't know why but he never asked me along. Of course, I never asked to. He said it was really important since Simone was officially being integrated into the Trümper family and something like that. German traditions. What do I know? I'm an American who knows even close to nothing about my Spanish heritage. I know one day I would learn more from Tom, who is always a patient teacher... In many ways... Ayup.

The last Christmas was a Christmas to remember. I met Tom's family. I gave him my first night. Right now I have a rock on my finger technically. I can't wear a pretty diamond ring everyday, can I? A kid at Wal-mart, engaged, wearing jewelry folding clothes. I might lose the finger along with it if I wear it like I wear my septum anyway. Most of the time the ring stays in my secret place in my room. I'm not telling where. Haven't I digressed enough? Back to Mike.

He's cute, funny, but a lot of the time he's doing things he doesn't know are hurting me. He knows I have a boyfriend but he tries to get close with me. And the funny thing is I actually like the attention I get from him. I am fucking pathetic, I know. I hate it, I really do, but what can I do? It's nice to have someone like you, isn't it? Someone that is here, physically... It's like Mike knows what to say. I know he's bad company but Tom was a bad boy when I knew him... Just... Fucking a.

So why did I tell Mike to fuck off? Because he knew I hated this new girl at my department who's practically fucking every guy there and yet he talks to her all the time. Okay, I'll admit I don't know if that's true but hell, she looks like a slut. So this makes me wonder like I wondered a long time ago; is Mike really a slut? I just wanted to be friends.

I went out in the cold, wrapping my jacket tighter around me. Fucking Christmas Eve and I have to work till 11. No one's really home anyway. Andrew and Richie are going to open all their presents anyway. I can wait. I wish Tom was underneath my tree. God, please.

Then I got a text from Tom. My hands shivered as I read the message: _How is my fiancee doing on Christmas eve? ;)_

There was a prominent smile on my face and I felt my cheeks blush. The past week he only texted me once or twice a day, and he took hours to reply. I knew he was really busy, fitting work and family into a single day, every day. My Tom's a busy man and I never liked to ask so much of him. As long as he texts me once in a while and knows I'm alive, I'm good. As long as I have that ring, I know that day was real and what we are still is. I'm such a fucking girl. I need a lot of assurance, sad I know.

My fingers shivered as I tried to type a reply. There was a light blanket of snow and it looked like it was going to rain at 5 in the evening. What is this, seriously? Then I typed: _Missing you very badly and i bet you are smiling right now, you arschloch xD_

Dirty German, ayup. Tom taught me everything I knew. I waited for a long while but Tom never replied. Sadly, I went back to work and ignored Mike most of the time. It was 11 and I went back home, driving and listening to Paramore, feeling more tired than I usually would. It was a little over midnight when I watched Andrew and Richie play with their new gifts and I fell asleep.

I woke up with two crazy boys jumping on my bed and Bailey was licking at my feet. I smiled to myself and Andrew piped, "Morning! This came for you!"

My mom then told the boys to leave me alone and they went out with Bailey after them. I held a large brown parcel in my hand. Instinctively I went to look at the postage. German! YES! From Germany! DOUBLE YES! Excitedly, I ripped the parcel open, which was fairly light, and found the shirt I almost bought for myself this Christmas!

"SANTA'S A FAYLEY, FUCK YEAH!" I shouted to myself when I pulled out the black seasonal Paramore shirt with a huge Santa on it with flaming red and yellow hair. I love it! And it was in my exact size. Tom knew me so well.

Then I noticed the white card that came with it that dropped on the wrapping. It had Tom's weird handwriting, one that I adore, in front saying: To My Almost-Wife

And inside, it was this: _Diese Jahre waren unglaublich. Ich schätze jeden Augenblick mit dir. Du bist alles, was ich bin und sein wird. Ich liebe dich. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year baby. ;) P.S. Wish you were here._

Idiot. Then you should have invited me over... Well, he's an idiot I still love. If it's a private party I know when he can't have anyone over. After all, I'm not married to him. Not yet. I squealed again and immediately changed into the Santa Fayley shirt, wearing it over long white thermals. It's so snug!

I checked my phone; still no reply from Tom. I shall not bombard him with texts. He could be having the party right now. Plus, I cannot show how desperate I am for him even though I—well—am desperate for him. I miss him so much it hurts. Whatever it was, I sent him a message saying I got his present and that I loved it a lot. After that, I washed up, tied my hair and went down for a little Christmas breakfast. Today I wish I could visit my grandmother. I don't know how but I will. Maybe not. I think we're supposed to go over to Richie's mom's house today. Richie is my stepdad. Maybe I'll meet the guys and exchange our presents. I don't know anymore.

Then I went up to my room again to put all my presents. I checked my BlackBerry and saw that Mike texted me and asked if we could hang out because he got me a present. I told him I didn't get him one but he said it was okay and told me to meet him at Wal-mart (of all places) and I told him okay. I told CJ and Anthony that and we agreed to meet there and from there we would drive to CJ's after getting some Denny's. Hopefully I get to talk to Eza but nope, she's busy having parties in Singapore.

I told mom I was going out. I did, and I drove on the slippery ice as carefully as I did, blasting Paramore and feeling awesome in my Santa Fayley shirt, a hoodie and a jacket. It wasn't long before I reached and I saw Mike in his ride. He told me to come over in his car which I did.

"Hey," he said with a really goofy grin.

"Hey," I said.

"Merry Christmas."

"Oh, cut the crap and give me my present," I laughed, hitting his arm.

Mike smiled and told me to close my eyes as he put his hands behind him.

I agreed with a stubborn sigh. I hate surprises but whatever. What did Mike know about me?

"Mhmm."

"No peeping?" He said. I wasn't.

"Hurry," I said.

The next thing I knew, Mike kissed me.

My heart fell. It fell from the a thousand stories high and I never heard it land. I got the last private jet to send me to Jersey to see an American idiot kissing my girl. I'm sure she never wanted it. She's pushing him off. That's asshole...

"HEY!" I shouted, banging on the window of his cheap-ass car. I was never more infuriated with this random bastard. "HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

My accent came through so clearly I didn't care and before I knew it, I was shouting in German, shooting him down with whatever my 20 years of life taught me. I was brutal, about to get him down on his knees when I dragged him out of his seat, pulling him by his collar. This fucker was going DOWN.

"Was zum Teufel war das?" I raised my voice at him. I knew he understood nothing but instinctively that was what my reaction was. Ashlee would know this, how I serious this shit was going down, because I only come out like that when things get serious. "Warum bist du zu berühren? Wer hat Ihnen die Erlaubnis, sie zu berühren, huh!?"

"TOM!"

I didn't even notice when Ashlee came running out from the car and she had her hands on my arms. At her touch, I just softened. I couldn't bring myself to make another move but when this asshole started to talk, I just couldn't stay put.

He started to laugh with his hand raised slightly. "Hey, hey, now who the hell are you?"

"Who are YOU?" I pointed to him sternly. "Why did you touch her? Who said you can?"

"Who says I can't?" He smirked. "Look, I was just giving her her Christmas present, alright? Okay? Nothing big—"

"You don't touch her!" I shouted, pointing at Ashlee beside me. My eyes never wavered from this man. I had to stand my ground here because guess what? I wasn't even in my own country.

"You gonna make me?" He replied rudely.

"You _don't_." I went closer to him, so close I was staring down at him at such an angle I bet he was intimidated. He was just a bit shorter than me but I was still taller. "You hear me? You don't touch my girlfriend. You don't come anywhere near her. She doesn't want you."

"Tom, please," Ashlee pulled at my arm. "Stop it. Forget it. It's over. Mike, go _away_. Now." So that idiot has a name.

I was afraid, at that moment, to turn to look at her. I hated when she got upset, and worst still over things like this. She doesn't like my violent side. Let's say she's never even seen it. (Unless it's in the bedroom.) It wasn't my fault this happened, that I had to almost hit this jackass.

"Mike, get the fuck out of here!" Ashlee grabbed the guy by his shirt. "GO!"

"Why?" Mike was being arrogant, I could tell by the way he stared at me. "So he's the boyfriend, huh? This is even better than I imagined."

I clenched my fists. Little did I know, Ashlee was holding one of my wrists by then and I guess she felt my tension so suddenly. At that same moment, she squeezed my hand and whispered, "Please let it go." Then she looked at Mike. "Get the fuck away!"

Mike laughed. Why do evil people love to laugh?! "Ashlee, you said you liked me but this douchebag was in between the both of us. You said he's stopping you. Now what's this?!"

I stared at Ashlee, confused. "What is he talking about?"

"Tom, you believe him?" Her big brown eyes were staring right into me. I don't believe him. I just needed to hear Ashlee tell me he was lying. She stared at Mike. "You fucking loser, I never said those things."

Mike looked pathetic as he continued, "What about feeling guilty when we hang out? Weren't you jealous when I went out with Jessica, and you text me all the time and get mad when I don't reply you—"

"She hangs out with guys _all the time_ , _Mike_ , so _nothing_ you say is going to make me believe you. She doesn't _want_ you around. Fuck off!" My fingers pointed straight into Mike's chest and he quickly pushed my hand away, annoyed. That's my job, asshole.

And the other parts about texting Mike all the time... I don't know. I just don't want to talk about that right now.

"Just don't hit him," Ashlee said. "I don't want things to happen, please." She rubbed my back quickly, and I could see the frown on her face.

"Wer hat Ihnen die Erlaubnis, sie zu berühren." I stared at Ashlee with a pained look. This man has got no fucking idea who he's dealing with right here. I pointed at him straight in the face. "Du weißt nicht, mit wem du zu tun haben, okay!"

"No kidding, nigga," he said. "Wait, you're not even one..." And he laughed. He laughed at me.

My hand immediately went flying across his jaw even before he could finish what he wanted to say. His eyes grew wide as he gave a loud groan. Obviously he was mad, but that did not scare me one bit. The next thing I knew, he was heading for my stomach with his fist.

"ARSCHLOCH!" I cried, choking him with a hand with the other trying to hit his ugly face.

"Fucking Christ, Ashlee. Can't you see what you're going out with? This kid is worse than Eminem!"

Then there was a tight slap, so sharp I thought my ears bled.

"I LIKE EMINEM!" Ashlee retorted. "Now fuck off!"

Mike's eyes burned. "Bitch, watch it."

He turned and walked away.

Tom took a deep breath. His shaking fists released its empty grip, proceeding to hold his heavy head full of endless questions. He never doubted Ashlee. He never has and never will, but this was giving him second thoughts. What if Mike was telling the truth? Tom loved Ashlee, but there were things he needed to know.

"Tom," Ashlee looked at him, her hands going to his face. His eyes never left Mike until he drove out of sight. To her, Tom was intimidating. Together, they drove Mike away. Mike, to Ashlee, was someone who never really was. He wasn't this, he wasn't that. He was just a confusing soul to Ashlee. Just now, she witnessed how dangerous he was. And of all times, Tom had to appear there and then. Even if he wasn't there, she knew she would have slapped him across the face raw, maybe even a kick in the crotch. But she was a girl and who knows what Mike could have done if Tom was never at the right place at the right time. Ironically.

"Just . . . leave me alone," Tom muttered just loud enough for her to hear. He walked a few feet away from where she was, rubbing his face over and over, as if trying to erase memories of just moments before.

Ashlee's eyes welled up at those words. "What do you mean?"

"I need to think, okay!" Tom raised his voice. Did Ashlee really feel jealous when Mike was with other girls? Did she really want his attention that much? Was it because . . . he never had enough time for her? Tom really regretted being too involved back home. He had too much work to finish before his holiday break started. It was impossible to avoid. In the end, he had to choose to give up Ashlee for a while even though he didn't want to.

There was a bit of silence. Tom was a deep thinker and would often think so much, leading to too many conclusions. It gave Ashlee a bad image. "Do you believe him?" Ashlee asked, taking a few steps closer to him. "Tom, do you believe what he said? Is that what you're thinking about?"

Tom breathed in deeply, his thick brows furrowed closely together. He was in obvious torment, physically and mentally, as he tried to find an answer. "I don't know," he answered. To Ashlee, the answer was obvious.

"We're not even close! Why do you believe him?" She asked. Deep inside, she knew exactly where Mike got all those from. Many a times, she would text him but only in boredom. Mike took it differently. About Jessica, any normal girl would be annoyed. It was annoyance, she was sure. She wasn't half jealous about it. Mike was the real douchebag.

"Why would he even dare to kiss you when you are not even close like you say?"

"Why don't you believe me?!" Ashlee cried. She was so weak, so weak when he was like this to her.

Tom could not think of any plausible response and the only think he could do that was right without words was this—giving her an unexpected hug. Deep into her dark hair his nose nuzzled, inhaling her familiar, clean scent that made him so alive again. He realized how much he missed her all those months and how far he went in accusing her. He knew he was wrong. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry, Ashlee."

"Tom, I love you," she held him, her eyes watering. Quickly, she pressed her face against his blue plaid shirt, staining it with her tears. "I won't do this to you, you know it."

"I know," Tom said. "That's why I'm sorry. I'm so stupid. I'm so sorry, Ashlee. Please forgive me."

She squeezed him so tight, but not as tight as he could. She wished she didn't have to let him go, that they could just be together like that. But to be in such a sad state, she wished slightly otherwise. "Shut up," she whispered, clutching at his shirt while staring at him.

Tom kissed her forehead and stroked her hair, breaking into a little smile when he saw her pretty face. He let out a soft laugh, a laugh of disbelief. It was true, he could not bring himself to believe what happened five minutes ago really happened. For a short moment, they just stood hugging. It healed everything.

The petite latina gave a smile she couldn't help but let go, one that showed a slight pout, and sighed into his shirt again. "Asshole."

"Fiancee." Tom smiled. And he noticed the ring was missing. "Without her ring."

Ashlee took a shaky breath. "You know, I'd love for that to be permanently on me but Jersey gets a bit dangerous sometimes. Plus I work at Wal-mart..." She ran her fingers over his beautifully braided hair. She couldn't see them unless he sat, but she could feel it was newly done since it wasn't loose at all.

"Not cool," Tom nodded as he kissed her nose as he bent down a bit. Ashlee grinned and kissed his lips. "Little bull," he said, referring to her with her septum ring. "And owl, Spanish Hayley, sexy mama, and—wait, did you get my present?"

Ashlee's eyes widened. "Fucking Fayley, duh!" She pried from him to show off her shirt that was half-hidden behind her hoodie and jacket. "Tom, I love it so much. And you got the right size, too."

"Like I don't know my girl's body," Tom winked with a sexy smirk.

Ashlee suddenly gasped, "Wait, Tom, why are you here?" Her eyes were full of curiosity.

"Oh," Tom smiled. He sighed and shrugged. "My mother told me the party was actually, uh, what's that word... _postponed_. It was on 23rd. So I still have time to come here to see you on Christmas!" He bit on his lower lip, waiting for her response. "Um, surprise?"

"I only like _your_ surprises, you know that," she hugged him by the waist. "I'm so glad you're here. It's the best Christmas gift." She couldn't help but give him a long kiss, a deep one to warm him up, giving him a taste of what's to come.

Tom sighed with a lopsided smile, stroking her face. "I miss you. I don't know what I'd do without you," he started. Ashlee made no response, merely eyeing him lovingly, her hands rubbing at his waist. "Probably something stupid."

"I won't let you do that even if I'm not around," she said, rubbing his cheeks, her thumb playing with his dark gray lip ring.

From behind them, a car honked and Ashlee saw that it was Anthony and CJ. She waved, and Tom waved as well.

"Can't I have you?" Tom pouted slightly.

"Nein," Ashlee smirked.

"Bitte?" He tried.

"Nein, nein." She was obviously having fun teasing him, kissing his neck lightly on her tippy toes.

Tom gave a wide grin, his head thrown back slightly, enjoying her little game. "I don't care, you know," he said. "Mir ist egal, was du sagst. Ich dich zu meinem Hotel zu bringen."

"Chyeah. Merry Christmas, Tom," Ashlee smiled. "Bye." She turned to walk away after giving him a pat on the butt.

Tom's eyes widened. Laughingly, he said, "Wait, where are you going?" Swiftly and strongly, he scooped her up from behind her and like she expected it, she started letting out fits of giggles, calling his name. He threw her petite frame over his shoulder with a big grin as he made his way to his rented Honda Civic. "My hotel, now."

CJ and Anthony took it from Tom, the thumbs up that the German gave them, that Ashlee wasn't going to hang with them for a while. The renewed couple had better plans.


	42. Liber Fatali

I can't remember the last time I've experienced such warmth on a cold day like this. The lights around me twinkled like stars in the sky and the smell of freshly baked biscuits and cakes were everywhere. It was hard to notice how numb my hands were that night because the view around me was simply spectacular. The last time I was here, I must have been barely seven years of age. Bill and I used to skate on the frozen lake with dozens of other children, and even adults would join in the fun. My mother, Simone, would call us back to her and she would fill us with cookies and warm milk and let us go again. That was also the last time my father celebrated Christmas with us.

The wind was blowing coldly against my face and so I pulled my thick winter jacket tighter around me. It would be odd to wear sunglasses at night but that was how it always was for me when I did not want to be recognized. All I wanted was some time for myself, immersing in the culture long forgotten by my brother and I. My mother was away on vacation in Greece for the winter with my stepfather Gordon. Of course, Bill and I bought them the tickets for their early Christmas present. This way, Bill and I can have the old house all to ourselves. We really wanted some time alone at home, free from work, music and the paparazzi.

I walked on, keeping a tight watch on Bill just in case he wandered off too far once again. The eyes of excited, cherry-cheeked children are bundled in winter clothes and they lit up at the sight of the treasures they see. I may be twenty but I still enjoy the sights and sounds as if I were just like them, in complete awe of everything I see in the Christmas market. Toys, Christmas tree ornaments and candy were piled high in the rows of wooden stands overwhelmed by evergreen boughs and lights. High-pitched children rode ponies or merry-go-rounds, visited puppet shows and had the awesome experience of meeting St. Nicholas. If I could meet him, I would ask for only one thing and that is I shall meet my soulmate on this very night. I laughed to myself and at how dumb my thoughts were, then I continued walking, catching up with my excited younger brother as he dashed straight for the candy stall.

"I never knew that Alexanderstrasse hid such beautiful things!" Bill piped. His bony hands were concealed partially with black, fingerless gloves. I always wondered what purpose such things served. I know for one that it does not keep his fingers warm. Of course, Bill was always one for fashion. It looked good on him, anyway.

"I know," I said, smiling to myself as I catch a glimpse of the towering Christmas tree in the center of the festival grounds. "Impressive, isn't it? I knew there was a reason to come here tonight."

Bill laughed. "It beats staying home and eating microwave-heated, factory-made Lebkuchen, no?"

I watched as he surveyed a few kinds of spiced bars. I used to go crazy over them when I was little when Simone baked them for a whole month prior to Christmas. "Don't make me miss our mother on a night like this, Bill," I said sternly.

"Don't make _me_ miss her!" Bill retorted with a short laugh. He gave me a slight nudge before he pushed up his glasses. Bill does not wear glasses but he did then so that he would look different. He was in a black trench coat, looking very much like a geeky magician if I could label him. His usual faux hawk was concealed flatly in a black beanie, one I used to wear when I had my dreadlocks. Knee-high boots kept his feet warm as bright blue Nikes do mine perfectly. Did I mention that Bill wasn't wearing any makeup as well? He looked well different, different enough. Everyone there was suffocating in their own layers of clothing so no one really bothered to look at faces, just the alluring treats on display.

I rolled my eyes at my twin before my attention went to the giant Christmas tree again. "Hurry up, Bill," I said to him. "I want to see the tree."

"No, we're going on the carousel first. I don't care," Bill quickly replied. "Wait, just let me choose the bars. Do you like the regular ones or star-shaped ones? Oh, look! Angel-shaped Lebkuchen!"

"That's Batman," I frowned.

"No, it's an angel," Bill argued as he pointed. "Look at the wings!"

"That's Batman's cape," I replied, rolling my eyes. I peered closer. "Look, he doesn't have a halo!"

"It's impossible to sell a small ring of Lebkuchen with it—of course it's an angel!"

I shook my head at him. "I'll bet you a dozen of those it's Batman. Look, there are little pointy ears!"

Bill looked closely at the spiced bar. "That's a defect."

"Then all of them must be defects!" I said, observing that almost every piece had tiny ears instead of halos.

"Whatever, you're still getting me a dozen angels," Bill sticked out his tongue, revealing his tongue stud.

I gave a soft snort and paid the stall owner some money. Bill grabbed the bag and continued down the stalls. I was just simply drawn to the tree. I decided that after I take pictures of the tree, I would go on the ferris wheel. Finally, it would be the carousel. I liked that it was crowded. We were less likely to be spotted.

After about twenty minutes of choosing a good fruit cake, Bill and I walked to the carousel right beside the giant tree. Underneath the tree were little children being driven around by an automated railroad train in and out of the tree. It was some sort of fairy-tale forest as the sign announced. If I were younger, I would have joined in the queue despite its length.

"This tree is just..." Bill's words traced off eventually. I whipped out my digital camera and took a picture of him. Then, I decided that wearing sunglasses was really obnoxious so I removed it. The cloudy sky of a dark azure was simply breathtaking at an early afternoon. I never noticed. I had my cap and scarf on so hopefully, I would have a peaceful and regular Christmas shopping spree.

"Breathless," I said, trying to complete his sentence. Bill was still shocked by the enormity of it. I laughed and folded my arms. "I wish we owned something like that."

"You're nuts," Bill stared at me before he grinned. "Come on, it's my turn to take your pictures."

I smiled and passed him my camera. I felt like a tourist in my own country but honestly, it felt good to be out there for once and being normal. If I looked like a tourist, no one would ever think we could be Germans, that we could be someone who's somebody. This holiday, I was going to do everything myself despite wearing disguises. No more high class parties. No more indoor Christmases.

About an hour later, I felt hungry and Bill and I suggested dropping by an outdoor cafe for some hot drinks and cakes. It was years since I actually stepped out on the streets of Berlin to get things done on my own. I must admit, I do feel rather strange buying food myself, taking pictures myself, even people-watching. The feeling of being someone no one knew and cared about seemed rather appealing at that moment since all the fun I had on my own during the last five years were restrictive. Being famous has its cons as well.

We settled down indoor in the corner of a quaint French-styled cafe. Thankfully, mostly old people swarmed the place apart from the usual teenage girl or two. We tried our best to be normal even though we spent most of our time making sure no one saw our faces. I drank from my vanilla latte and finished two blueberry muffins while Bill drank an espresso with a croissant since we were vegetarians. We had nothing much to eat anyway. It wasn't long before we decided to go back out. There was a large group of teenage girls entering the front door so we decided to leave by the back, which we did. It took us to the alley and we exited on the other side of the Christmas market. Right there in the middle of the little town square was a beautiful fountain as wide as two Cadillac Escalades. It looked stunning because it was decorated with garlands and baubles and lights, making it look like it was already Christmas when in fact, there was one week left.

Bill and I sat around the snow-laced fountain and took out a Lebkuchen each. Something in me predicted what was going to happen next. "It's an angel," my twin brother mumbled as he took a bite.

"Batman," I replied, not looking at him. I took one after taking my gloves off.

"It's an angel—"

"Oh, shut up," I rolled my eyes at him. "I got them for you so just eat it. It's a Bat-angel, okay?"

"Fine," Bill laughed. "Although Angel-man would have been funnier." Angel-man would be a nightmare. At the same time, he dug up a few coins in his pocket and he closed his eyes as he made a wish out loud. "I wish I would be happy all my life." He threw the coin in the fountain pool.

I found it weird Bill didn't wish for anything to do with love. Wasn't it what he always wanted?

"Your turn," Bill said to me, passing me a coin.

I was too lazy to stand so I turned over slightly to face the glowing water. With my eyes closed, I said, "I wish I will soon meet someone I can love forever no matter what happens, and she will love me just as much." I tossed the coin high up and it dropped on the other side. "Tonight would be good," I mumbled under my breath.

Bill's eyes widened. "That's a good wish! I wish I thought of it first." Obviously, he did not hear the last part.

"I found it weird you didn't, Bill, really," I shrugged. Out of the both of us, it would have been more likely that Bill eagerly wanted to find true love, not me. However, being here tonight made me want to meet someone new, someone who would love me for me and someone whom I can live with for the rest of my life.

Bill quickly took out more coins and threw them all into the pond. "I wish I will find the love of my life, someone who will love me for me, and the day I meet her shall be the best day of my life. And we can be happy forever. And I hope she is beautiful and has beautiful hands."

"Cheat," I nudged him. Who makes wishes twice? Would it work? Are wishes even real? I was just doing just because Bill was. God must be so busy answering prayers that wishes were put on hold. My little Christmas miracle had to wait.

Looking at everyone so merry around me, I saw hundreds of couples holding hands and sharing a good glass of Glühwein while I'm alone, following my brother around while trying to stay unnoticed. And people wonder why we're always single. I have little luck when it comes to romance because of fame. I haven't had a girlfriend in years and I really feel lonely. If I said I wasn't missing anything in life, I would be lying. I really would. Bill smiled at me and sat back down to finish his Lebkuchen. At least I'm not alone. Bill keeps me going.

Then, I noticed a little girl crossing the road all by herself. She did not look very well to do because all she had on was a worn jacket, pants and shoes. If I knew any better, she must have felt extremely cold since the weather was close to freezing and I was already feeling so in my three layers of clothing.

I rubbed my hands together to rid it off the crumbs as my eyes were fixated on her. "That must suck," I said, wearing my leather gloves back.

Bill looked at me, confused. "What?"

"That little girl over there," I said, nodding at the dark-haired child who came up to the fountain beside us. She immediately shot her hand through the surface of the icy water and started fishing around. I instantly realized what she was doing when she pulled out a handful of coins in under a few seconds. Then she came by us and started picking up more around us. We tried not to look, pretending to eat our spiced bars with our faces turned the other way.

"Wow," Bill remarked softly as we both tried hard not to stare. "That's kind of sad."

I agreed with him and continued watching the girl collect as many coins as she could before keeping them in a little bag she held. Then I remembered that my coin was over there where she was and there were no coins left. Does this mean she took my coin as well? There goes my wish, she took it with her. She went past us and started scraping more coins off the bottom of the shallow fountain.

Suddenly, Bill stood up and started digging around his pockets. "What is it?" I asked.

He paused midway and looked at me. "I lost my phone," his eyes widened.

My heart was in my mouth when I heard that. "What?" I frowned. I quickly stood up and scanned the place. "How come?"

"I don't know! How would I know, Tom?" Bill grumbled. He put his food down and started retracing his steps back to the cafe and he returned without a phone. I was still looking around the fountain and I even peered in to see if his phone had dropped in the water. Nope.

Bill was whining. "Shit, shit, full of shit," he repeated again and again, pacing around frantically.

My attention was on the girl who was eyeing me suspiciously across the fountain. I tried to remember when she came so near to us, climbing so she could reach deeper into the fountain. We even moved so she could climb. Could it be..?

I stood up and went over to the little brunette girl and got on one knee. Bill watched, slightly confused. "Hey," I started. "Can I see what's in your bag?"

The girl made no response. She just stood there staring at me, emotionless.

I forced a smile and eventually, a laugh was emitted. I tried to lighten things up because I did not want to scare her. "Did you . . . happen to see a black phone in the fountain just now?"

The girl instinctively hid her bag behind her, the bag that was dripping with water. Again, she made no response.

Bill came over and sat on the fountain ledge. He pulled out a few Euros and held it up in front of the girl. "Can I have my phone back, please?"

The girl took a deep breath when she saw the money.

"It's really important to my brother," I said. The girl stared at Bill like he didn't believe that Bill was actually . . . my brother. I smiled slightly to myself for if I were her, I would be the same, too.

"Please?" Bill said. "I'll take you on the carousel! Or the black forest train ride."

"Really?" The brown-haired girl's eyes twinkled. Her hands started to reappear and Bill eventually grinned when she passed the bag to him.

"Really," Bill said. I watched as Bill pulled out his phone from the bag. "Thank you." He sighed and rubbed her head. "I have some Lebkuchen angels. Take one." He offered her.

I shook my head. "Batman," I mumbled.

"It's a princess," the brunette girl said. She chewed off the piece that looked like the princess' hair. Bill and I looked at each other and exchanged smiles. It started to make sense since my so-called 'pointy ears' actually look like a crown. We walked back to the fairgrounds and Bill took the girl on the carousel ride. I took a few pictures before they came down. I bought the girl a candy cane when she started to eye it. Then I realized I didn't know her name.

"What's your name?" I asked her when I saw her looking at me strangely.

"Taniya," the girl said. Bill nodded. I'm sure they spoke when they were riding the carousel. I had to admit she had a slight accent. She definitely was not from around this part of town.

"Taniya, where do you live?"

The little girl looked up at me from her candy cane but she did not answer my question.

"Okay..." Bill gave an awkward laugh. "Do you want to go home now? It's kind of late for you to be out here alone, isn't it?"

Taniya pointed past a crowd of people at where the frozen lake was. Then she pointed at that place.

"What's there?" I asked, looking at the exact same spot she pointed at.

"Ballet," the girl replied in awkward German. Before I knew it, she was running towards there as if she expected us to be chasing after her.

Bill gasped aloud when Taniya darted from us. I was sure it was a mutual responsibility felt when she ran away, like we had to take care of her and when she disappeared, we were to blame. I knew I had to follow her for she looked so vulnerable and alone. Bill and I immediately started to pace after her, keeping our gaze low.

"What are we doing?" Bill laughed suddenly as we started to zigzag through the crowd.

"I have no idea," I said, "but it's something new."

Then we finally made our way to the front, much to the displeasure of a few older Germans who thought we were just plain rude. I tried not to look at them because I noticed the number of teenagers who were around us. There was, after all, a constant need to stay on the low since we had no bodyguard. It might have helped a little since we announced that we were going to Hawaii for the holiday. What a decoy.

"Sorry," I apologized to the old man who ended up behind me. My eyes went to the front and saw that a line of graceful and lean ballerinas in white and gold were twirling and skating all over the frozen lake around a brightly lit Christmas tree. It amused me that they looked like they felt no cold even though they were dressed so poorly. I was so drawn in by the performance that I almost didn't notice Bill tugging at my shirt. I looked at him when I did.

"She's over there," my brother whispered successfully over the gentle music accompanying the ballet performance. There was a loud applause and we realized the performance had ended. "Come on."

Bill tugged at my jacket sleeve and pulled me with him away from the crowd just as the ballerinas did their thank you bow. I was still attracted to the beauty of the girls whose ballerina outfits sparkled in the warm Christmas glow. Everyone had beautiful smiles on their faces that made my insides all fuzzy. Then I passed a sign and read that the ballerinas were from a small community in Russia who travel all over Europe. Interesting.

"Do we have to find her?" I asked Bill with a slight frown. Then I caught sight of little Taniya running behind the ballerina stall that was set up to collect donations to support their school. Bill and I stopped because we were not sure if we were allowed past it. We did not even think that Taniya wanted us to follow her.

"I think that's it," Bill sighed with a soft smile on her face. He was staring past the counter people at something or someone farther behind. "She found her sister, I think."

"What?" I asked. "Where?"

Then I stepped in front of Bill and shared his view. From where I was standing, I saw the most fragile-looking human being in my life all wrapped up in skin tight gold and white with a faded cream tutu. Her seemingly black hair was in a neat bun up high, making her fair porcelain face entirely available for all to see and admire. Her back was so straight and her posture made me realize I have always been slouching. Bill decided to cut my admiration short when he waved his hand before me.

"Are you okay?" He asked laughingly.

I blinked a few times and nodded. "I'm great," I said. I shook my head slightly and continued to stare past my brother who looked delighted somehow.

"You look like you're..."

"Hello!" Came a familiar voice. It saved me from Bill's nosey question, undoubtedly.

I knew it wasn't just my imagination when I saw the ballerina come closer. I looked beside her and saw Taniya holding her hand tightly. That really must be her sister. In close up, the ballerina was even more breathtaking, a grown up version of Taniya herself. Maybe it was also because I had never seen a a ballerina before in my life. Not in person at least. I may have found her attractive but this is just an unexpected meeting. I still need to stay alert.

"Hello!" Bill piped. He looked in awe, just as I imagined I might have looked. "Wow, you're gorgeous." I almost found it hard to believe Bill made such a direct comment for a first impression but I wished I had done that first.

"Thank you," the ballerina said with a soft blush on her face. Her accent was unmistakable. "I heard what happened and you're really nice to Taniya. Thank you so much. I'll pay you back when I have the chance."

She definitely had an accent. She's Russian, according to her ballet group. Her sister must be Russian, too. How did she know German? Well, I do know kids are really smart.

"No problem," Bill smiled. "At least I have my phone back. No grudges held."

The ballerina started to frown slightly, in obvious confusion. "What phone?" Taniya started to hide behind her like how little children would normally do in situations like this. Did this mean that the ballerina wasn't enlightened about the whole theft thing?

"Uh," Bill looked at me.

The ballerina tried to pry Taniya away from her body. She sighed and looked up after failed attempts. Her icy blue eyes connected with mine and my knees buckled. What kind of reaction was this? I was clueless.

I felt a nudge and Bill stared hard at me before I choked out an answer, "I think we can forget about it. Taniya's still little and we got his phone back, anyway."

Then the ballerina started talking in a slur of Russian to the little girl. I was sure she was scolding her. Taniya had tears in her eyes as her big sister got on her knees to tell her whatever she was telling her. My heart went out to the little girl. At the same time, a fellow ballerina came over to put a coat over the black-haired ballerina. To our surprise, the ballerina's immediate next move was putting the coat on her sister. She was left with nothing.

"I'm so sorry," the ballerina said to Bill. She extended a shaking hand. She was cold.

"It's okay," Bill said. His next move was to remove his jacket and then I stepped hard on his foot. He let out a yelp and stared at me at the same time I took off my jacket. I gave it to the ballerina who seemed to be refusing it.

"Take it," I insisted. "We're going back soon, anyway, and I have a lot of coats at home. And, well, Taniya is the one who really needs a jacket."

The ballerina accepted my jacket without a question. A tear fell down her face and she wiped it away the same time Taniya hugged her. "Thank you," she said. She then looked at Taniya, talking yet again in rapid Russian. The little girl nodded with a wide smile.

Bill and I stared at each other and exchanged mutual smiles. I understood Bill's cheeky grin. I had to stop acting like an idiot before I was seen through and Bill would never let me live this down.

"What's happening?" I decided to ask, seeing how delighted Taniya was when the ballerina talked to her.

The ballerina looked at me, slightly blushing. "I just earned my week's wages and I can finally get her a good coat." Then she looked at her jacket and started to remove it. "Really, you can take it back. I'll get one tomorrow morning."

I took a deep breath. My mind had to act fast. This could be it. My wish might have come true. The girl is here but what should I do? "But," I started, "you can return it to me some other time."

There was a twinkle in her eye. "How?"

Bill helpfully added in, "If you're going to be here till Christmas, we can drop by each day to see you. I'm sure I'm not the only one looking forward to this." Bill faked a cough and I took an awkward deep breath.

"I'll be getting our coats tomorrow," the ballerina grinned. She pulled the jacket off her slender body, one I could not help but admire. It had perfect proportions.

I looked at her. "Please," I said to her. "It's nothing. Keep it until I see you again."

Bill smiled suppressively and looked away. He let us have our moment. Taniya jumped and cheered.

"That would be very nice of you," the ballerina said, thanking me in her native Russian. I had heard that somewhere before so I knew.

I grinned at her, slightly shy. It was hardly like me to be this way but tonight was different. I knew it was. "Um," I started. "Maybe I could have your name."

The ballerina looked at me with an entrancing smile, and that moment I knew she was the one. "My name is Rusalka."


	43. Once Upon A Dream

He rubbed his face and opened his eyes. There was a smile on his face. The dream he had was pleasant. All he could recall at the moment was someone holding his face, kissing him long and deep. They were under the sun, under the palm trees, by the coast. He could not remember what led to that, but it seemed to be too perfect. Of course, he hadn't been kissed meaningfully in years.

Like all the other days at the resort, this was what Tom Kaulitz was doing. He stretched, got out of bed, washed up and dressed down. Quietly, he went to check on his brother, and found that he was still sleeping. The position that Bill was in incurred a rather spontaneous chuckle from the onlooker. Instead of lying down, Bill was curled into a kneeling ball, his hands holding his neck. The funny thing was that the younger Kaulitz twin was really asleep.

"Weirdo," Tom grinned before walking out to the kitchen.

He pulled open the refrigerator and made a face at what was inside. He had been having caviar a lot of nights, some really exquisite berries and cream just hours ago, smoked salmon and herbs for dinner, and the leftover crepe Suzette did not interest him. Instead, he grabbed a can of Coke and headed outdoors. It wasn't the best choice for breakfast but it was close to noon. He smiled at himself at that thought.

His balcony was clean that morning. It must have been cleared by the cleaners, again, he though to himself. It was sandy the night before. And full of beer cans and what trash the twins had left behind. Even the chairs were arranged back in place. A cool gust of wind blew against his face. Nothing could describe how much he loved the weather on the atoll.

There was a guitar, Tom's guitar, and when he saw it at the side he remembered he had left it outside.

"Thank god you're still here," he said under his breath. He grabbed the guitar in one hand while wearing his sandals, and with his Coke still in his other, he went from the balcony to the beach that was right at his doorstep.

After walking for about ten minutes behind his villa, he found himself at the central garden. He had never been there even though he had slept three nights at the villa, since most of the time he only visited the coastline and took a boat to the main island for some food and recreation. There were a few people walking by with fruit baskets. Apparently, as Tom read the sign nearby, it was a fruit garden where guests are allowed to pick their own fresh fruits for consumption. Either that, or they order something from the villa menu and pay for it. Tom had everything from the menu. He wanted to try and pick something for himself.

He set his guitar down against the post and opened up his Coke. He took a long gulp, a few more, and then he put it down next to the instrument. Walking straight to the first tree he saw, the coconut tree, he decided to stretch a little. Soon, he was alone. There was no one in sight. He remembered there were only five other villas on this island, and not all might have been occupied. He enjoyed being alone, away from milions of people, away from the rest of the world.

There was a big smile on his face as he put his hands on his hips, looking up at the coconuts.

"Should I climb you?" He said, remembering from movies it was like that. Either that, or coconuts fell atop heads. He didn't want that, definitely.

Tom gave a smiling sigh and grabbed the trunk, starting to climb the slightly curved, tree. He relished the fact that he was alone, and did as many stupid things as possible to try and get a coconut. He moved to another tree and tried knocking at the fruits with his guitar but he stopped after two hits in fear his guitar might be damaged.

Soon enough, the Kaulitz twin gave up on the coconuts and headed to a mango tree. Easily, there were mangos on the floor. He smelled them and grinned at its sweetness from just the yellowed skin itself. Eagerly, he tossed them near the post where his guitar laid before he continued with a mangosteen tree, as the sign below the lot said.

"You're a weird fruit," he said to the dark purple fruit with a murky green-colored stem the size of a tennis ball.

From behind him, something dropped and there was an audible laugh that followed. A few lots away, there was a woman, a girl probably his age. Her black hair was very long, almost touching the hem of her tropical print shorts. The smile on her face was because of the coconut she had successfully brought down with the help of a long pole.

Tom's eyebrows rose as he observed the girl having a go at another almost immediately. The second coconut came down fast and dangerously, rolling to lot where Tom was. He stood up, went to the stray coconut and picked it up as the girl came towards him.

"This must be yours," Tom smiled.

"Thank you," the girl said, taking it from Tom.

Tom could hardly manage a simple "you're welcome" for when he stared straight into her almost black eyes, he was at a loss. All he could provide was a small nod. For one, he knew that she was definitely Asian. She wasn't entirely Asian, she was a mix of something as well. To him, she was exotic. He couldn't even place her accent despite all his experiences.

The girl walked away and took her other coconut with her. It was like she had lost all interest all of a sudden, and she went away.

Tom pursed his lips for a while as he watched her disappear. And he went on with his fruit picking.

Walking around where she was just now, he found the pole on the floor. He laughed, thinking of how he could have missed that. Bending down to pick it up, he saw something shiny. At the end of the pole, there was a golden bracelet. It was thin and had a small heart dangling from one end with letters. Tom assumed they were initials.

He picked it up, slipped it into his pocket and brought his fruits back with him to retrieve his guitar. Disposing his can of Coke after emptying it, he walked around to find a bench and sat on it, starting to try and peel the mangosteen.

"Mangosteen," he tried saying it aloud. "Funny how I've never seen you before."

Moments later, while plucking out just the stem, Tom saw as the same girl went running through the bushes to the coconut tree. She frantically searched the ground for what Tom was holding.

Almost immediately, he stood up and went to her.

"This must be yours," he said to her. It was the second time he was talking to her, and it was the exact same thing as the first sentence he said.

The girl took a deep breath when she turned and saw Tom. This time, there was a bigger smile on her face as she took what he had that was hers. Her eyes glistened as she thanked him.

"You're welcome," Tom mustered. For a few seconds, he thought of what else to say to keep it going. "Um, so are those your initials?"

"What?" The girl said as she tried to put it on.

"Let me help you," Tom said, offering to take the bracelet for her.

"Thank you," she said.

"No problem," Tom nodded as he wore it for her. Then suddenly, he had a deja vu feeling. For some reason, he did. He did not know what about.

The girl shook her wrist when she saw that it was done. Tom smiled and the girl grinned. "Thank you," she looked at him.

Tom shrugged. "It's okay," he said. "You could help me by telling me what to do with this." He showed her the mangosteen.

She smiled. "I saw you staring at this just now. I thought you could use some help," she admitted.

So she did see me, Tom thought with a little smirk. He gave her the fruit and with her nails, she pried the fruit apart. Embarrassedly, Tom realized the skin wasn't so thick nor was it hard to penetrate.

"Wow," he said. "That's fast. You know this fruit?"

"Yes, he's my friend," the black-haired girl said.

For a moment, Tom froze in confusion. The girl bit on her lower lip. The next, the two of them laughed.

"I come from..." She decided against revealing her country. "Where I come from, I have these every season."

"Cool," Tom said. "Where are you from?"

The girl shrugged. "I think I have to go," she said suddenly. "Bye, Tom."

"Bye."

Tom watched as the girl left. He looked at his fruit and then where the girl had run off to. Then he realized, he never told her his name.

After a small sigh, he went back to his bench. It seemed not too long after that he fell asleep basking in the sun.

He rubbed his face and opened his eyes. There was a smile on his face. The dream he had was pleasant.

"Wait," Tom said when he realized where he was. Then quickly, he grabbed his phone and saw that coincidentally, it was barely noon. He stretched, got out of bed, and immediately went to Bill's room. To his amazement, he found that Bill was still sleeping. The position that Bill made Tom stare in surprise. Instead of lying down, Bill was curled into a kneeling ball, his hands holding his neck. Tom made sure that Bill was really sleeping and then stood at the bedside thinking.

"This can't be," he said. He grabbed a Coke and found his guitar outside. Right after, he made his way to the back of the villa.


	44. Dance, Dance

Tom and Bill were at an interview a few stories up the building where Gustav and Georg were during a rather fine day, and so the two decided to hang out at the arcade for a while.

"Hey!" Gustav complained when Georg nudged him during the last round of speed racing. "Stop it!"

"I win!" Georg exclaimed when he saw it flashed '1st place' on the screen as soon as the game ended.

Gustav groaned. "Scheiße!" He rolled his eyes at his friend as they both got up. "You cheater! I'll make sure you'll lose the next game!"

Georg shrugged with a smirk before moving on to the next few game machines that didn't really pique his interest. Then, his eyes landed on a particular one, huge and colorful with poppy tunes coming out of it; it was the Dance Dance Revolution dance pad. It had been a while since he had last seen one, and there wasn't anyone around to watch him so he approached it. He figured he could make a fool of himself because no one was there to laugh at him, especially because Tom wasn't here. And Gustav… Gustav was playing the drums machine behind. When Georg went forward, someone else ran and got there first. It was a girl, brown-haired and slender. Georg narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, intending to watch the girl dance. He observed as she slotted a few coins in and picked a song. Stage five?, he thought to himself when he saw that she picked the hardest song. She must be really good at this. He watched as she played the whole song. Damn, she's good. She managed to keep a few combos.

"What are you doing?" Gustav asked when he came up next to Georg. He saw him looking at the girl and laughed. "Looking at girls, eh?"

"There's only one girl, Gustav," Georg answered as he rolled his eyes at his friend who still maintained a stupid smile on his face. Looking back at the girl,

Gustav suddenly decided that he could get Georg to dance and possibly humiliate himself, sort of like a revenge for making him lose the racing game earlier. "Hey, I bet you can't ace that thing in ten minutes."

Georg frowned slightly and turned to Gustav. "What?"

"Ten minutes," Gustav said. "You can play as many times in ten minutes, whatever level, but I bet you can't get even a pass!"

Georg snorted. Typical was Gustav; always trying to intimidate him. "Why would I?"

"Because you want my money," Gustav answered simply. Georg loved bets, and money being the prize was even more irresistible to him.

"How much?" Georg asked. He would love to prove Gustav wrong, and possibly try and impress the girl. It really wasn't a Georg thing to dance but he would do that to laugh at Gustav in the face. Besides, ten minutes could be about three songs. A pass would be easy as pie. What was so difficult about a little hand-eye coordination? It was not like he had anything to lose. There wasn't anyone there, anyway.

"Um," Gustav pondered for a while. "$100, no negotiations. And your time starts now."

Georg groaned. "Hey! She's not even done yet!" he complained, seeing that the girl was playing her second game on another level five song.

"My challenge, my rules!" Gustav smirked, crossing his arms and looking at the girl.

Georg relented, patiently waiting for the girl to end the song. Two minutes passed when she finished, and she got an 'A' again.

"She's still not moving!" Georg said, but Gustav merely shrugged. The girl added more coins and started her next song. It was like she memorized every move because she hardly missed a step.

"Six and a half minutes," Gustav said as he looked at his watch.

Georg groaned. He went forward beside the girl and looked at her. The girl stared at him for a while before smiling to herself, eyes a bit wide. "Hey," Georg said. "Are you done? I need to dance."

The brunette laughed slightly, her eyes back on the screen. "I think I need to dance more than you," she answered simply.

The buff young man gave a sigh before replying. "Lady, I got a bet. I just need to dance a song and I'll win and you can dance again."

"You'll have to win it, but you can't," she said, her body, arms and feet moving flawlessly to the EuroTrance track that was driving Georg nuts.

"Five minutes," Gustav said as he was looking around, a smile on his face. "Aw, Georg is losing."

Georg frowned at Gustav. "But you're on your third song already!" he complained when he looked back at the girl. Just then, the song ended and the girl turned to look at Georg.

"You can't dance," she said, looking at Georg from top to bottom, a smile on her face. Georg frowned slightly, finding her pretty challenging.

"Uh. Yes, I can," Georg answered before stepping up beside her on the pad. He was only slightly taller than her, and he could see her almost face to face. He noted that she was even prettier up close, which made his slightly self-conscious all of a sudden.

"No, you can't," she answered before smirking, fingering her locks of hair a bit. "Because you play bass, not Dance Dance Revolution." With that, she slotted in more coins and started scrolling through the song list.

Georg was surprised. So this girl knew who he was, and he was pretty amazed that she didn't jump on him or ask for his autograph or anything. Maybe it was only because he wasn't Bill or Tom. Ah, Georg; he was in denial.

"Uh. Just one song," he asked. He gave a cute, sort of pleading half smile and a bit of raised eyebrows to add to the puppydog-ness of it all. "Please?"

The girl didn't look at Georg as she picked a one-star song, the easiest on her list. "You simply cannot fail this one," she said as she stepped down.

"Thank you!" he said, grinning. Gustav laughed.

Georg suddenly felt awkward being on the dance pad and about to dance. He watched as the symbols started to appear and tried to hit them right. He hoped he wasn't too shabby, so at least the girl wouldn't laugh at him like Gustav was doing behind him. Each step the bassist took was as stiff as a statue, it was simply like watching a tree log dance. But at least he was dancing, the girl thought, laughing to herself as she watched Georg. Not bad for a first try. When the song ended, Georg ended up getting a 'C'. The song was easy peasy to him. He turned around and saw that Gustav was actually filming him on his cell phone the whole time.

"Hey!" Georg exclaimed, eyes wide when he saw it. Gustav gave a loud laugh before running away. Georg didn't even want to chase after him. "You owe me a hundred bucks!" he shouted, arms on his waist as he frowned. He turned back to see the girl get back on the platform again.

"That was good," she said before turning to look at Georg. "So you got yourself a hundred bucks, huh."

Georg looked at her slightly, face a bit pink from the embarrassment as he answered. "Yeah," he said. "And a stupid video Gustav took of me that he's probably going to show everyone."

The girl gave him a smile before she let out a soft, pleasant laugh, making Georg decide to do something he would regret if he didn't.

"Um," he said. He was holding back a bit.

"What?" the girl turned to look at Georg, her head cocked a bit. She was in the middle of choosing a song.

Georg scratched his head a bit as he smiled shyly to himself. "What's your name?"

"Jazlene," the girl answered smilingly. "But you can call me Jazz." She honestly thought Georg was adorable, even more so in real life.

"Right," he said, smiling back. "Thanks for the song choice." He loved her eyes; they were big, bright and brown. He could tell she was really friendly, and not some obsessive fan girl in disguise. "And you dance really good, just so you know."

"No problem," Jazz said. "And thanks. I like dancing." She blushed slightly, and Georg thought that was really cute. He really had to do this.

"What do you say if I gave you a treat, a way of saying thanks?" he suggested. He mentally cursed himself for coming up with such a cheesy pickup line. Either way, he hoped he wouldn't be rejected. Not by this dancing queen. "I mean, since I got some winnings, maybe dinner?"

Jazz looked back at Georg just before hitting the play button. She gave a soundless laugh, more like a grin. "I think that would be nice," she said. "And what's your name?" Jazz knew he was Georg Listing from Tokio Hotel, but she felt it would be nicer to ask his name. Georg, on the other hand, was surprised.

"Um, Georg?" he said. He gave her a funny smile. He probably didn't know how dorky he looked, but to Jazz, it was really cute.

"Right, I was kinda kidding," Jazz laughed sweetly. "But hello, anyway. I hope you don't mind if I play another song."

Georg nodded and then shook his head. "Go on, I like to watch you dance, anyway," he told her honestly.

"Maybe I could teach you," she teased, and the song started and there the dancing queen was, acing the game once again. Georg grinned as he watched. She was really good.

Gustav, meanwhile, returned to Georg. "Hello," he said, grinning widely as he gave him the money. "I just sold your video."

Georg didn't care what Gustav just said, knowing it was totally a lie. "Dude, I love you," he said suddenly, giving Gustav a teddy bear hug before letting go, crossing his arms again and looking at Jazz like nothing happened.

"Huh? Eee," the drummer mumbled, rather confused. He shivered from the impromptu hug. The next moment, Georg and Jazz exchanged mutual smiles and left the place as soon as she was done. "What happened?" Gustav asked, following after like a confused boy.

That same night, Georg returned to the hotel room with a huge smile on his face. "Why aren't you at her place?" Tom asked immediately, a smirk on his face. Bill threw a pillow at his brother.

"How did your date go?" Bill asked, putting the question more nicely, a questioning smile on his face as he watched Georg slump on the bed.

"She is so amazing," Georg mumbled dreamily. Honestly, he wished they were still at the pizza parlor talking the night away. He looked at his phone and admired his new wallpaper, and there she was, smiling back at him. Then, he received a text. It was from Jazz, and Georg immediately felt his heart race.

Maybe it was just he but every move his dancing queen made cause his heart to dance like crazy.


	45. I Caught Fire In Your Eyes

Tara looked at the billboard outside Hot Topic, half-smiling at 'Tokio Hotel Meet-and-Greet Session at 3.30pm-4.30pm'. The band was going to be in town for a long day; an in-store signing at Hot Topic and a show at the Alltel Arena at 8pm. Tara like this band a lot and was excited about seeing them, but she was merely going to help restock their Tokio Hotel t-shirts, posters, CDs and the like that fans would be buying just to get signed as the band pleased the fans. She would probably be behind most of the time, getting a mere glance of them. She didn't mind, seeing that she was actually going to see them at night. It was barely nine in the morning and there were already a few girls queuing right outside Hot Topic. Tara went in the store like any other time she did when she reported for work, going straight behind to inventory and making sure they had everything they needed for the big event as others prepared the store upfront.  
Tokio Hotel were in their tour bus on their way to downtown Little Rock, Arkansas, and they were having brunch. Soon, the boys touched down at a hotel uptown to get proper baths so they could properly shave and whatnot, just for the session they were booked for Hot Topic. David Jost quickly rounded them up for lunch just before going to Hot Topic, entering from behind.  
Back at Hot Topic, Tara was helping to bring out the Tokio Hotel paraphernalia as the shop prepared for their arrival. It was close to 3 and there was already a long line outside stretching down the next street and round the corner. She noted how a handful looked almost like Bill, like they were female versions of him. She didn't like how they didn't have their own style, but merely kept her comments in her head. The question of which of these girls would Tom bed tonight was lingering in the back of her mind when the store manager, Andy, announced that Tokio Hotel had arrived through the back door. Tara felt her heart race and decided to be far behind the inventory area so they wouldn't see her.  
"This Hot Topic is big," Gustav commented when he saw the inventory storage area they were going to walk through.  
"Of course, this is where they keep their stuff. And our millions of CDs and posters," Tom laughed, following an assistant with Georg and Bill close behind. There wasn't anyone where they were because fans were all queuing up at the front entrance.  
Gustav and the band went through the back door, walking through the inventory when Tara was rapidly moving, carrying a box of Tokio Hotel posters to the front. As clichéd as it sounded, Gustav and Tara collided when she suddenly appeared round the corner from aisles of stock.  
"Oh my God!" Tara let out as soon as her box fell to the floor, rolled posters all over the place.  
"Gustav!" Georg laughed teasingly as he caught the empty box.  
The only thing Gustav thought was if the girl was all right, seeing that he was still standing firmly when the girl fell backwards. He sort of blamed his large build when he realized how skinny the girl was and how much he must have hurt her when they clashed.  
"Sorry!" Gustav immediately said, bending down to help the bespectacled girl up by pulling her hand, giving her a slight smile. Then, he noticed the pinkness in her cheeks.  
Tara blushed when she realized she had hit Gustav Schäfer of all people. "Oh, sorry," she apologized, frowning a bit in embarrassment because she was really shy. She took his hand and got up.  
Bill smirked and added. "He knocks people down very easily." And he got down to help pick up some, as Tara blushed some more.  
"No, I'm sorry," Gustav laughed, blushing himself as he nodded at Tara. He was pushing Bill away from him without looking. The lead singer frowned and relented. Then, Gustav continued. "I'm big, and I hit you. You fall down. My fault." Gustav decided putting words in simple sentences was easier for him in situations like that.  
The boy didn't realize he was sort of gushing. He honestly thought the girl looked cute with her braces, which he noticed when she smiled slightly. He had seen a handful of girls so far with braces, but none looked honestly as cute as this one… There was just something about her, maybe. This girl, she was tall and skinny with short brown hair and intimidating black-eyeliner brown eyes that practically made something inside of him click. Weird or not, he wasn't going to say anything about it. He decided to just… let it go. She could be just another cute girl he's seen. If there were something else that happened in between them later on, he would know that he would have to make a move. That was Gustav and his philosophy on meeting the right girl on tour. If it's meant to be, he will have his chance.  
The rest of the band helped to pick up the posters as Gustav and Tara did, but they were soon ushered on to the front by Hot Topic employees who were soon getting things back in order.  
Tom nudged Gustav. "So you _hit_ on chicks while chicks hit on me?" he laughed before appearing at the storefront and taking a seat in the enclosed area at the edge followed by Georg, Bill and Gustav. Girls were screaming loudly behind the glass panels and Gustav merely sighed He managed a smile when the doors were opened and the queue flowed into Hot Topic, excited girls of all kinds reddening in Tokio Hotel's presence.  
Tara was at the side, helping a co-worker hand out CDs and things to sell to fans that were going to go get their stuff signed. She merely glanced at Gustav and for a split second he was looking straight back at her. He gave her a small smile before continuing to sign. Tara widened her eyes and turned back around entirely to focus on her job. Did Gustav really just smile at her?

* * *  
When the queue outside was continuously flowing in with some fans rejoining the queue just to see the band up close again, a small group of four teenage boys in black approached the store, looking in from the outside.  
"There's the fag and the fag rapping twin," one of them muttered under his breath.  
"And the other two who've nothing better to do than stick with these assholes," another smirked, pulling his backpack over his shoulder closer to him. "Pathetic."  
They went round the back and entered in through the inventory, and they were successful because one of them was an official Hot Topic employee. Besides, everyone else was up front and busying themselves at the band session.  
Tara was asked to go get more Tokio Hotel posters and she quickly ran behind to do so. There, she caught her workmate and a group of unrecognized boys holding what looked like to her were firecrackers.  
"Tom?" Tara's eyes widened. "What are you doing here? You're off duty!" She looked around and saw that two of his friends were getting close to her, grabbing her arms and telling her to keep quiet. Of course, she thought, remembering how much Tom and his friends hated Tokio Hotel, calling them a bunch of German pussies making nothing more than noise.  
Tom frowned. "Fuck it that I share the same name as that poseur out front," he spat, taking out his lighter.  
"What are you doing?" she said, panicking as she tried to shake free. "Tom, stop it! There are a lot of people here. You can't do this!"  
"We're just going to scare this shitty band, that's all," a guy said as he carried a dangerous-looking firework display in his arms while another did the same. One opened the door and looked at the angle they were shooting from. "Maybe we're going to make them miss their stupid show tonight."  
"Shit, we're hitting the drummer first," the shortest one frowned before closing the door again.  
Tara immediately widened her eyes in shock. "No!" she exclaimed. Not Gustav! Not Tokio Hotel and not anyone else for that matter. These guys were crazy. "You're going to get yourselves in trouble so stop it!"  
"Shut up, Tara," Tom snarled. "I've been waiting for them to come to anywhere but Alltel just so I am close enough to shock them all the way back to stupid Germany."  
Without another word, he lit the fireworks that were rested on the ladder. It was evident that, to everyone else at the store, there was too much going on in front to realize something was happening at the back. One of the guys quickly pulled open the door and hid behind it while the rest ran away in cover. Tara was taken with Tom.  
"And I swear if you sell me out, I will get you," Tom narrowed his eyes at her, and all she saw was the bright flickering of the dangerous lights. She heard a loud explosion followed by another, and two consecutive crashes and a whole lot of screaming.

Fans were running around in havoc, one or two even coming up to the four guys to get them away from the little fire that was soon spreading rapidly, burning up the large Tokio Hotel poster board behind them. Tom and Gustav were the two that were hit most by the firecracker explosion, each of the two fireworks hitting both ends of the signing table from the back, bursting through the poster board before erupting many times again like how fireworks would. When the evil Tom came out to look, he beamed at the chaos he wreaked.  
"Go back to Germany!" he screamed over the catastrophe. His friends cheered along with him.  
His friends snapped quick pictures of the incident they created before running away, leaving Tara behind. Tara saw that the fire was moving fast, but she knew she had to act faster. Gustav, she immediately thought. They said they were aimed at Gustav. She had to find him, like it or not, for he could be the worst injured one. She immediately ran out to the front past everyone else just to make sure Gustav was fine. She didn't know why, but she felt hugely responsible for the band being hurt. The security was too involved in getting the band and everyone else out and the fire was quickly engulfing the abundant fabric around them, quickly growing to huge flames. Gustav, Georg, Bill and Tom all had burns around their lower backs and legs; Tokio Hotel was trapped in a burning Hot Topic and all Tara could think of was how she could have prevented this from happening.  
Gustav was half-staggering due to his hurtful back, kind of overlooked by rushing people passing burning flames, but was quickly aided by Tara who came just in time. He wondered if she was there to find him especially.  
"I'm so sorry!" she shouted loudly over the chaos just so he could hear as she held an arm over her shoulder, helping Gustav away and out. She was really guilty that this was happening to her workplace, her workmates, the fans and the band.  
Gustav had no idea why the girl apologized, but he looked at her as he was helped out as the others were by other people. When Gustav saw Tara's eyes, he saw burning flames. He saw determination and sincerity, quite the opposite when he had first seen her an hour ago when they first 'met'. Definitely nothing like any other girl he had seen so far. There was something right there and then that fired his strength and hers alike, and they soon made it out to the front. Gustav knew that this was the moment he was waiting for.  
"Oh my God," Tara muttered when she notice Gustav was bleeding where she held him, apologizing again, almost in tears. She had never been in more shock in her entire life. The fire was diminishing, but slowly because it grew too large and wide. It was a bit late when the sprinklers came on. People were complaining about the slow reaction of the waters, but Tara was glad no one actually died. The boys and some others were ushered out from the back, which was the closest for them because everyone else was running out from the front. Everything happened so fast. And soon, the ambulance arrived to tend to those who needed help while a fire engine came to entirely douse Hot Topic. All four of the boys were sent to the hospital soon enough.

* * *  
At around 6pm, Tara was at the police station being questioned because she admitted to knowing about the cause of the whole incident at Hot Topic. Half an hour later, she was released from questioning and was approached by David Jost. She thought the older man looked familiar, and when he introduced himself, she merely nodded, remembering he was related to Tokio Hotel. She knew the concert was cancelled, because obviously, Tokio Hotel was in hospital.  
"Gustav would like to thank you personally," he said. "He's at the hospital, though."  
Tara wondered if personally meant face-to-face, and she boldly asked. "Can I know if he's okay?"  
David gave her a smile and nodded. "Yes, of course. He wants to see you as well." Tara felt a slight blush coming up her cheeks, but she sincerely hoped he was all right.  
Soon, David was driving Tara to the hospital that had a few dozen fans and people with minor burns all waiting around to be checked. Hot Topic, or so she heard from David, was still in tact, just that a lot of clothing was burned off.  
Gustav was in a personal room like the others were in theirs, and he was being finished treated with cream and whatnot, wrapped and laid down to rest. He remembered telling David to get the girl who had saved him earlier; tall, skinny, short brown hair, wearing brown glasses and braces. She was hard to miss, really. He was sure she was the only one who fit that description and David could not make a mistake. Gustav didn't want to miss her. This was the only time ever had something so drastic happened to him, and of all people, that girl saved his life. Not Tom, Bill, Georg, David or any of their security guards. Just that girl. And that little moment inside where he saw fire in her eyes, he knew he had to do something about it. He groaned suddenly, softly to himself, realizing his thoughts were getting cheesier by the moment. He closed his tired eyes and took a quick nap, sleeping on the hopes that she would be found.  
David and Tara soon arrived at dinnertime around 7pm with food for every member of the band, knowing they wouldn't take hospital food. Most of the crewmembers were visiting them at that time, but left because visiting hours were over. Only David could stay around, and he managed to persuade the nurses to let Tara stay. He didn't want to disappoint his little Gustav on this one, figuring this girl was a decent one after all. And so to speak, she saved the boy's life when everyone else was panicking.  
"Juschtel?" David whispered when he opened the door gently. Gustav was listening to his iPod when David finally came to his room. This was the last visit of all the boys just so he could get the food to the others first, just in case Gustav would take longer with the girl. "Dinner, and the girl you were looking for.  
Gustav grinned when David entered, blushing when he saw Tara come in soon after. "Hey," he said, looking at her.  
Tara was nervous, but not as when she was earlier, the nervousness way more than going to Georg's, Tom's and Bill's rooms put together. "I'm glad you're fine," she said, smiling as she came closer as David gave Gustav his burger and fries. She saw that Gustav had his upper body and upper arms bandaged, and he wasn't wearing anything but bandages and hospital pants. She tried hard not to be staring at the rest of his skin for the next few minutes.  
"Thank you for saving my life," Gustav smiled before beckoning the girl over. "Come, sit."  
The girl grinned, knowing she was blushing stupidly but she didn't care. She treated this like a girl-meets-boy, girl-saves-boy situation now, and something about Gustav told her he was doing just the same. "You should eat," Tara said, helpfully inserting the straw into the coke for him before sitting down.  
"I'll leave you two alone," David said, smiling especially to Gustav before closing the door. He had the nurses to handle.  
Gustav thanked David as he left before returning his gaze to the girl beside him. "I look very… Not nice now," Gustav said, shrugging, finding no better words to describe himself being a German. He was trying to say he looked awful.  
Tara grinned at his adorability. "You look great," she accidentally let slip before biting her lip. "I mean, you look nice, really." She was not trying to make him feel better, but he really did look good for a guy who got burned by some fireworks hours earlier.  
Gustav gave her a smile as he offered her some fries, which she so kindly refused. "Um, what's your name?" he asked, biting his burger as his eyes never left her.  
"Tara," she answered softly, giving him a small, awkward smile.  
"Tara," Gustav smiled and nodded. "Cool." Tara merely blushed, looking away. "My name is Gustav," he said as he offered a hand. She might have already known his name, but he decided to make it formally normal.  
Tara gave a soft laugh and took it, shaking lightly. "Yeah," she smiled. Gustav nodded, half-smiling.  
"I heard you knew who did that… That firecracker? Fire something?" Gustav said, raising his eyebrows at her. Tara could feel her guilt creeping back again. It was her fault this happened. "Tokio Hotel haters."  
"Yeah," Tara half-smiled, looking down and away from Gustav.  
"Thank you for telling the police. Or the band is… innocently harmed," he said, a hand on hers lightly before taking it away.  
The last line Gustav said made her so much more at ease than she ever was the whole day. "Oh," she said. She was still kind of shy. "I'm so sorry about it. I couldn't stop him. He was crazy, I swear."  
Gustav laughed, a bit shy himself. "So that's why you apologized? During the fire, inside?" he bit his lips together awkwardly, eyes on the girl before him.  
"Yeah," Tara mumbled, hugging herself a bit as she was afraid to look up at Gustav. Gustav ran his hands awkwardly through his blonde hair as he gave a sigh.  
"If I weren't like this here, I would bring you out to thank you for saving me today," he said, admitting the truth shyly. He had a tinge of pinkness in his cheeks that Tara noticed, and she blushed. She found him incredibly sweet, even more so personally. She didn't give a reply and so he added. "Like a date."  
Tara looked at Gustav immediately. Her face was becoming heated and she didn't know what to say. Sure, she had felt something like that with other guys before but Gustav was being so sweet about it she was practically speechless like in a diabetic coma. "I…" her voice trailed off before she grinned and shrugged. "That would be nice."  
"The doctor says I will be fine in a few days, maybe earlier," he said to her just so she would keep her hopes up. He really wanted to hang out with her. Like a date. "So we would be staying in town for a week, I think."  
"Wow," Tara breathed. "You need to get better quick." She didn't expect such a witty remark to come out of her like that, but she was glad it did because he laughed with her, making her feel really good about it as she loosened things up between them.

* * *  
Three days later, Gustav was officially discharged along with the other three boys. They received hundreds of letters and gifts of Get Well Soon's from fans, feeling ever so lucky and appreciated. The past two nights, Tara visited Gustav religiously, even sneaking him some homemade pasta she and her mother made. They talked a lot, lasting for hours each night, talking about school, music, hobbies, TV shows, friends, family and anything and everything they knew about. She even drew him a get-well card with an anime version of him that he thanked her so much for. He told her she was a brilliant artist, and wanted her to draw more for him, which she promised. Tara was helping out to clear the Hot Topic store so they could revamp the place when Gustav came by looking for her as soon as he could go look for her.  
"Hey," Gustav said when he saw her back turned while clearing stuff. "I heard the boys were caught?"  
Tara turned to see an endearing, bespectacled Gustav hidden in a cap and immediately grinned. "Gustav!" Her workmates excused her, knowing she had an important visitor. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. It was the first time she hugged him, never doing so before even in the past two nights, and she was entirely embarrassed when she pulled back. Gustav eyed her, a bit shy himself.  
"Can we hug again?" he asked, a shy smile upon his cute baby face as he left his hands lightly on her waist. "If you want."  
He wasn't sure if Tara wanted to, but the next second, she did just that. He stood there with her, arm in arm, nuzzled in each other's neck for a while. He had wanted to do this for a while, to hug the girl he saw light in during a time of darkness. She smelled just so good. Tara was tearing slightly, and she didn't know why. When Gustav looked at her, she quickly wiped her tears away.  
"What's wrong?" he asked, wiping them away for her before just cupping her face with a hand.  
Tara shook her head. "I'm glad you're really fine," she said, nodding. "If only I had told someone about them when I saw them with those things, all these wouldn't have happened. You wouldn't be delayed from getting hurt and—"  
"Shh," Gustav said, silencing her with a finger on her lips as he looked at her in adoration. She looked endearing even though she was teary-eyed and fumbling with her words, making him like her even more. "It's not your fault, Tara," he assured her, giving her a gorgeous smile.  
Tara felt her heart ache, not because of anything negative, but that Gustav was making her so positively weak in the heart. Possible, because of the way he said her name. She kept telling herself not to act like a fool, and to just be herself like she was the past few days with him. They had grown to be very close, and much more than just friends but the both were in denial for now. Nodding a bit, she sniffled and looked at Gustav, giving him a small smile. She noticed as he slowly turned his cap backward, making him like an irresistible schoolboy. Gustav didn't hesitate as he slowly leaned in as he tilted Tara's chin up with a finger to give her a long, sweet kiss. The girl felt her breath being taken away, and so did he. Gustav would usually kiss a girl after a few dates, but he treated those nights in the hospital with him as the first few, so he barely thought twice when he finally kissed her.  
Pulling back at the same time Gustav did, she blushed and smiled. "Sorry," he said, flushed as well, scratching through his cap a bit as he shrugged. "I don't usually do this. And um, but I just thought it would be right, maybe, if I—"  
"Shh," Tara placed a finger on Gustav's lips as she grinned at him, because he was the one who's going all 'sorry' with the irrelevant gushing. His cheeks were tinged pink as he gazed long and deep into her demure brown eyes that had him hooked since, and then she leaned in to give him another kiss. The young man grinned through the kiss, finding anything about everything so perfect he couldn't find words to describe it.  
When they were done with their makeout session, Gustav licked his lips as he looked at her, hand on her neck affectionately. "Can I make lasagna for you?" he asked, offering with a shy smile. "I am a good cook."  
"Of course," Tara answered, grinning back at Gustav. A guy who could cook, and offered to? She was so keeping him. Besides, Gustav was an amazing person. He took her hand and led her down to a local supermarket, buying the ingredients before going back to the tour bus to make a meal just for his new girlfriend.


	46. Miracles

"Thank you for coming tonight, and this is Miracles Don't Happen, an original by me," came a sweet voice on the microphone.

In the bar, Gustav and Georg were drinking to their heart's content of not being recognized much. They were fans of clubs but once in a while, a quiet local bar would be nice. And without the twins, because Bill was having a vocal surgery. Georg turned to look at the singer in front and observed her for a while before turning back to Gustav.

"Nice song," he said to his friend, the drummer. "What do you think would happen if we went up there and played? Like you take the drums and I play bass. I think it would hilarious."

"I think it would be dumb," Gustav said, swirling his mug and half-smiling. He looked at the girl who was singing. The spotlight that shone on her seemed a little too bright and he wondered if the light technician here was a sucky one. "Hey, maybe we should get Philipp to do the lights here, eh?"

"Yeah, right," Georg answered. "I don't think anyone would recognize us. People here are twice our age and are depressed."

"Hah," Gustav snorted. Then he heard the song being sung. It was pretty familiar. "Wait. This song sounds familiar," he said.

"She just said it's an original, but maybe she stole the tune off some other song," Georg suggested. As Georg spoke, he noticed Gustav was staring straight at the girl who was singing. And he was nudged by the bassist. "Hey, you're staring at her," he laughed.

Gustav blinked, looking up at Georg. "Huh?" he said, before realizing he was staring at the girl. A very long gaze indeed. He was just looking at her vague figure, blinded by the light shining so bright. It irked him a bit, and he wanted to turn the light down. It was just a little peeve to him. "I think the light's too bright."

"I thought so, too," Georg answered. "We're professionals, so maybe we should do something. I hate it when the light shines so hard on me."

Gustav looked at Georg, rolling his eyes. "I can't even see her face properly."

"Why do you want to see her face?" Georg teased.

"Whatever," he said, drinking down his beer. The truth was Gustav found her quite familiar. Her voice and the way she roughly looked.

When Alyson was finished with the song, she smiled out at the darkness. "Thank you," she said simply before leaving the stage. She always got a free drink, and she always ordered orange juice. She didn't like to drink much. She took a seat beside Gustav.

She greeted the bartender. "Hey, Oliver," she said. And then, Georg nudged Gustav.

"She's right beside you," Georg winked. Gustav gave a simple 'like it isn't obvious' glare. He didn't turn to face her, though. He was still facing Georg.

Alyson rubbed her eyes, feeling the after effects of being under the spotlight for too long. She held her orange juice in her hand and sipped it a little, starting to make small talk with the bartender.

"How's school?" Oliver asked, wiping a glass.

"Not too bad," Alyson answered.

"Did you get to see the producer?" Oliver asked again.

"Oh, the Tokio Hotel one?" she said, putting her glass on the table. "I did pass him my demo, though. He hasn't called me back."

"But it's been only what, one and a half weeks?" the bartender smiled, keeping the glasses. "Be right back." And he disappeared into the back. Alyson sighed and leaned her head on the table, facing Gustav's back. She closed her eyes for a while.

At the mention of Tokio Hotel, Gustav's ears perked up. So did Georg's. They looked at each other, amused by that and the whole conversation in general.

"Why do I get the feeling she's that girl?" Georg said suddenly, cocking his head aside. "You know which girl-"

"Yes," Gustav said. So she was familiar. "The one that day in... Um, where was it?"

"The one from the show in Leipzig," Georg answered with a grin. "The one at the meet-and-greet who talked to David when she was supposed to be talking to us-"

"Shh!" Gustav frowned, a hand on Georg's mouth. And he rubbed his hand on Georg's shoulder sleeve. He gave a motion suggesting that Alyson might have heard them and indeed, she did.

All Alyson heard was 'meet-and-greet' and 'David' and a few more deep-voiced mumbles. She looked up a bit, wondering why those words were so familiar to her. Being a little shy, she didn't dare strike up a conversation. She decided to listen on.

"Sorry," Georg said, laughing. "I wonder if David even heard her CD," he said.

Alyson knew they were talking about her and she sat up, frowning a bit because she was confused how they were talking about her.

"Hey," she said.

Gustav's eyes widened. "Is she talking to us?" he asked Georg who was facing Alyson and him. "Tell me she's not talking to us."

Alyson raised an eyebrow. "Hey," she repeated, tapping Gustav's shoulder. "You. And you. You're talking about me, right?"

One thing was that the bar was pretty dark, only neon lights illuminated the shelving beyond the counter and some fluorescent lighting under the counter where their feet were.

Georg looked at the girl and smiled. "Hi," he said. And Gustav inevitably turned.

"Hi," the drummer said, smiling at Alyson. Alyson blinked for a while, wondering why Gustav looked so familiar and of course, he was someone from Tokio Hotel.

"Oh," she said. And she got a little nervous. "You're that guy from Tokio Hotel, right?" Then she glanced at Georg. It was another guy from that band.

Gustav smiled. "Yeah," he said. And he quickly turned to Georg. "See! I told you this song was familiar!"

"I didn't even listen to her songs!" Georg protested. And then he laughed. "Oh, so you stole a listen for yourself, didn't you?"

Alyson gave an awkward laugh. "You heard my CD?" she asked. "I think it's pretty bad." Of course, she thought. That was why David Jost never called her back.

"I think it's nice, though," Gustav assured her. He wasn't lying. And he explained a bit to Alyson. The boys were curious what it was that the girl talked to David about when the other meet-and-greeters were actually asking for pictures and autographs. And when they found out all she wanted was to meet David and pass him her demos, they shrugged it off. Only Bill and Gustav listened to the songs out of curiosity, and they returned it to David. "And God knows what happened to it," he said.

"Wow," Georg teased. "That comment, my friend, coming from a metalhead is sure precious."

Alyson smiled. "Thank you," she said. "I play everything myself, you know."

And the boys were amazed. "So you're like a one-woman band!" Georg piped.

"I don't know how to play the guitar," Gustav laughed awkwardly. "So you're in school?"

"Yeah," Alyson nodded. "Oh and my name's Alyson. Alyson White." She offered a handshake.

"Gustav," Gustav smiled. "Um, Gustav Schäfer." And he shook her hand.

"I'm Georg Listing," the other smiled and nodded, drinking a bit more. Alyson smiled at them. This was pretty cool, hanging out with two of the lesser knowns in a rock band in a local bar for middle-aged people.

"Do you sing here everyday?" Gustav asked, curious.

"Yeah," Alyson answered. "On weekends, and during the holidays. It pays pretty well for eight an hour."

Georg smirked. "That's cool," he said. He didn't want to boast about them earning so much more.

Oliver returned and saw that Alyson was talking to two new friends and he smiled at them.

"Oliver!" Alyson said. "They're the boys from Tokio Hotel! You got celebrities in your bar."

Oliver widened his eyes. "Really? My son likes your hair." And he scanned them. "Um, not either of yours, though. The one with brown and blond locks always in a cap."

"That's Tom," Gustav smiled, not minding the appreciation of someone other than either of the two. "Thanks. I'll tell him that."

Alyson smiled. She liked making new friends although she was pretty shy. "So it's Tom, Bill, Georg and Gustav?"

"Yup," Georg said.

"How old are you guys?" she asked.

"Nineteen," Gustav said. "He's just turned twenty-one." And Georg grinned.

"Wow," Alyson nodded. "You guys are young. You're so lucky." And she offered a sincere grin. "I honestly haven't heard anything besides your singles, but they're cool."

"I understand," Gustav said. "You don't sing our kind of songs either, so it's no wonder."

"And I thought you were a metalhead?" Alyson asked, smirking.

Gustav caught it and shrugged, laughing awkwardly. "Um, yeah," he said. "You're right. But never mind."

Georg felt quite out of place, but quietly listened to their conversation. Then he whispered in Gustav's ear. "She's cute for you," he said.

Gustav turned over. "Thank you," he said simply, half-sarcastic.

Alyson didn't mind the whispering, though.

Oliver returned to the boys. "Hey, tell your manager to give her a try because she's good," he said, trying to help Alyson get a chance.

"Oli," Alyson frowned, trying to push him away. "We play fair."

"Actually, that would be fine," Gustav said. "Because we heard you tonight and you're good so we could get David to listen to you."

"Plus he likes a good drink so hey, you should prepare the best drinks if he comes here!" Georg said to the bartender.

"That's great!" Oliver smiled and leaned against the counter. "See, Alyson? Miracles do happen."

"He's trying to say you should rewrite that song," Georg teased.

Gustav rolled his eyes. "If she did, it wouldn't be as nice, probably," he said, smiling at Alyson. Hard to believe it, but this was pretty much like at first sight for the drummer.

"I appreciate it, but I don't want to go through it this way," Alyson said, trying to be humble. She caught Gustav's gaze a lot, and she sensed something. He was quite good looking, and definitely nice and friendly.

"Well, human beings help one another," he said to her, offering a beautiful grin.

"Yeah?" she said, laughing and looking into her glass. "That's very nice. I guess I owe you."

"And me, too," Georg piped in. Gustav nudged him and gave him a 'stop teasing' look.

"Both of you, then," she said. "Even if nothing happens."

"It's cool," he said. "So what are you doing later?" Gustav asked.

"Probably go home alone, because my brother would be working all night over the weekend."

"Her brother usually picks her up," Oliver added.

Gustav nodded. It had been a while he had met someone so normally, since all the pretty girls he met were pretty much those who only asked for his picture and autograph. He didn't want to let this chance slip. They could have something. And he looked at Georg briefly before looking at her. "Do you want to drop by 7-Eleven and we can get some food and hang out? If you're not too tired, that is."

Alyson smiled. "That would be nice." She felt quite flattered by Gustav's offer, and wondered where this would take them.

"And Gustav the metalhead would be talking about your non-metal music with you," Georg joked, earning himself another stare from Gustav. Alyson gave a laugh, sweet-sounding as her voice was to his ears.

One thing Gustav noticed about Alyson was that she had a gorgeous smile, even under the bad lighting.

"So let's get going before 7-Eleven closes," Gustav grinned.

Alyson gave a loud laugh. "But 7-Eleven never closes!" She loved his sense of humor. And he loved her laughter.

"Yeah," he said, getting up. Georg paid for their drinks and they left in his car. Gustav ended up driving because Georg was a little more tipsy than planned.

"Drop me off," Georg said. "I'm tired."

And Gustav drove Georg home before hanging out with Alyson for the rest of the night, talking about anything and everything under the moon.


	47. Blue, Cheddar, or Georg?

Date: 8 September  
Time: 10:19 PM

 **Another cheesy post...**

If you don't want cheese on your pasta, don't click on the cut.

You clicked it, so you're here. So read on.

Okay. She had my attention at hello. We had this connection that was instant, and it simply wouldn't let go. I'm glad it never did.

Each time she talks, it was like watching my favorite show or listening to my favorite music. Anything she says makes a beautiful noise.

A lot of girls are sexy, I see them everywhere. On the road, at shows, backstage. Unfortunately for them, only she knows how to use it. Fortunately for me.

I like talking to her on the phone. There's this one thing we do, and I think no one else does it. I'd like to keep it that way, so don't tell me you do it too if you really do do that. You see, we'd agree to hang up at the count of three, but the funny thing is we don't ever do it. Well, at least until we got serious about it when we realized the phone bill was going to cost either of us a bomb.

I think it's crazy how after all this time, we still are a little childish.

'You hang up.'

'No, you hang up.'

We still got that thing going on. That kind of love. I like it a lot. :)

Every time she calls me, okay... I get goosebumps. Not lying. Like those you feel the first time? Yeah, those kind. When I saw her there, I was hooked on that beautiful view. She totally worked the dance pad.

And I know I can't picture my life without her. I just can't. It's like painting a picture without a canvas, or singing a song without the music. It doesn't make sense, does it? Exactly.

I know. I can provide cheese for the whole world if I let my fingers type anymore. Don't say I cannot get romantic with words. You don't know me like she does. ;)

It gets boring and I can't wait till I return tomorrow. First person I'll be seeing is her. My girl, Jazz.

I'm her fanboy. Baby, I'm your fanboy! *fanboys* I sound like a fangirl. :)

My only post of the day and I didn't even bother to say happy birthday to my best friend. Happy Birthday, Gustav. You're still one year away from legal drinking, sorry. :P

 **5 Comments | Comment**

 _SecksGott89_  
 _9 September 10:39AM_  
WAS DER TEUFEL GEORG CHEESY! :p

- _haffelhoss_  
 _-9 September 1:19PM_  
-GO AWAY!

 _PaintingTheStars_  
 _9 September 11:27PM_  
Ich liebe dich auch. :)

- _haffelhoss_  
 _-_ _9 September 1:23PM_  
-Für immer und immer.

- _PaintingTheStars_  
- _9 September 1:47PM_  
-See you later!

Georg was at the airport and the band just touched down a while ago. There were a few baggage claims to be made before they were allowed to be dismissed. When they were through with everything, David Jost granted them the permission to file out from the place. There were some fans surrounding them, but Georg only had his eyes for one of them. The one he called his girlfriend.

Jazz waited in the crowd, hoping for a glimpse of the band as they came out. She listened to the chattering around her and grinned to herself. She was happy her boyfriend had returned. When he came out, she saw his eyes scan through the crowd. She ducked under the bar and went over to him in, throwing her arms around him in great elation. Only she would dare to do that, because she belonged to Georg, and Georg to her.

"Now that is one of the reasons I want a girlfriend," Tom said, staring enviously at the two as they embraced. He signed a few autographs as he passed along the crowd.

"Someone to look forward to when you go home," Gustav added with a smile, his bag over his shoulder as his free hands pulled his luggage. He, too, stopped to sign a few things.

Georg totally ignored the fans. He looked down at his girl, the one he was hugging tight, the one he had been waiting to see all summer long. It had been a long stretch of touring and shows to attend, but he finally made it home. He made it back to Jazz.

Bill entertained the fans before Tobi escorted them away, out to the bus. He gazed at the couple in admiration when Georg put Jazz down. "Georg, kiss her!" Bill said.

"I know," the ponytailed bassist breathed, eyes pinned on Jazz's lips. "But she's making me so nervous right now, I'm just waiting for my heart to stop beating so fast or I'll not get this right." He tucked a few stray locks of brown hair behind her ears, smiling away like a fool.

Jazz grinned, a finger on her boyfriend's lips to hush him. "Cheesy," she whispered with a coy smile, forehead on his as their bodies were held close in his strong grip. Fans stared in great envy as their noses touched, and some with jealousy. It was like a scene from a love movie. He kissed her finger gently before she brought her arms around his neck.

"You like cheese," he said, smirking, licking his lips as he leaned in for a much anticipated kiss full of passion that made up for lonely nights. He lifted her up slightly and instinctively, Jazz wrapped her legs around his waist, straddling Georg. She loved cheese. Especially the Georg Moritz Hagen Listing kind.


	48. Guitar Store Romance

Ashley Rose sat behind the counter with a guitar in hand. It was like any other boring day and from the door came a jingle when it opened. She looked up and saw a customer.

"Hi and welcome," she gave a big smile, looking up from under her glasses. The outside was glaring but she could make out the figure; it was a baggily-clothed boy and he sure looked familiar.

He went forward and gave a smile. "Hi," he said, poking his lipring with his tongue as he nodded at the girl.

Ashley Rose's eyebrows raised slightly and her eyes widened. "Wow," she mumbled when she recognized who he was. She was surprised he came here. "Um, we have a really small collection here," she said, trying to be as calm as possible. "But feel free to look around." She got up and went to him, trying to be polite.

The little store was tucked away downtown, and that was why Tom went in. He thought he could find something different, plus there wasn't anyone else around. He looked at her as she came over. "Yeah, okay," he said as he looked at the array of only about ten guitars out of which, six were classical. "That looks cool," he pointed to one that looks just like one of his own, smiling.

The girl gave a small laugh and nodded. "The one you do those guitar-fuck-" Tom looked at her when she paused, and he noticed she blushed. Shit, she thought. "I mean, you do stuff with. Sorry." And she turned away and returned to her guitar.

Tom gave a little smirk. So she knew him. At least she didn't freak out or something. He could tell she was trying to keep her composure. "I'm Tom," he said, going to her and leaning against the counter. She had nice curls and nice eyes... and his gaze eventually traveled to her lips.

"Ashley Rose," she said, smiling halfway. She felt awkward talking to Tom especially since he was looking at her like that. And she tried to place her fingers properly on the fret.

"Nice name," he said. He saw that he was making her nervous, and he stopped being so flirty. She wasn't those kind, he told himself. At least she was different. He gave a short laugh. "So, what do you know how to play?"

Ashley Rose looked at him for a bit before giving an uneasy smile. "Um, yeah," and she started playing the intro of In Die Nacht. She liked that song a lot. Then she stopped. "I'm learning, and I don't know how to play the chorus yet."

Tom laughed when he heard it. "Sorry Bill's not here to sing," he said. "It's good."

The girl bit her lower lip and gave a soft laugh. The longer this was, the more she felt the nervousness. "Heh," she managed to breathe out.

"Can I?" Tom offered to take the guitar and she got up to let him sit. Tom sat down, playing the chorus a bit before he stopped. "Sing with me," he requested with a smile.

Even though she was uneasy, she decided to just sing as he played the chords. She didn't have a bad voice, anyway. "Ich will da nicht allein sein, lass uns gemeinsam in die Nacht. Irgendwann wird es Zeit sein, lass uns gemeinsam in die Nacht." When she ended, she gave a huge smile.

Tom grinned. "You have a nice voice, too," he said, smirking through a smile. He stood up and passed her back the guitar. Ashley Rose took it and put aside.

"Thanks, and um, can I help you?" she asked suddenly, remembering that he was still a customer here and she was paid to do her job to serve him.

"Just looking around, actually," he smiled, gazing at the guitars. And then he looked at the picks. "Cool," he said, picking out a few. He took a thumb pick and tried it on. "These things are annoying, huh," he said.

"I don't like them, too," she laughed. "They're really hard to play with." And she took out a few others. "These are the newer ones we haven't put out." And she showed him a few with bands' logos on.

Tom took it and grinned. "I like this one," he said, taking the Tokio Hotel one.

"Of course you do," Ashley Rose rolled her eyes and gave a laugh. The guy shrugged and grinned.

Tom looked at her, amused. She was interesting, and she didn't creep him out like most girls did. "You're cool, and I've never seen a girl working at a guitar store before," Tom tongued his lip piercing, and he saw her eyes gaze at it. "Do you wanna hang out?"

 _Never seen a girl working at a guitar store before?_ What a pickup line, she laughed mentally. This girl knew of how he was with all those groupies and stuff, and she wasn't sure if she even wanted to hang out with him. She thought too much, maybe, but she was trying not to disappoint him. She wanted to, but she really wasn't sure. "I don't know," she said, standing because Tom was still seated.

Tom realized that when he followed her gaze and she got up. "Sorry," he said, and he asked her to sit. She did, and he looked at her hopefully. "I know what you're thinking," he said, giving a short laugh. "But it's just dinner. Maybe a movie. I bet you know LA well?"

"Yeah," Ashley Rose smiled. "I do, and there's this awesome fish and chips place!" she gushed a bit. Los Angeles was her home. "And, I guess we could hang out." She was surprised Tom actually asked her out.

"Cool," Tom nodded, grinning big. "I'd like to see LA. I'll come by at 6?"

"Yeah," Ashley Rose grinned as well. She was getting used to this. Well, she had to. "I finish at 6."

Tom gave a short laugh. This looked promising. He was waiting to meet someone new.

"Cool," he said again and he took down her number and wrote his down on a piece of paper, passing it to her. There was something about her that he immediately trusted, and who knew what new beginnings that one little date brought.


	49. My Bloody Valentine

I hid myself behind that tree they two used to kiss under, right outside her front door. He gave her one last one before he took a walk home. I followed, hiding in the shadows along the way. Not once did he turn around. I can't blame him. He was pretty dumb for a guy to be going out with her, I was going to show him that.

It was a good fifteen minutes of quietness and I realized it was way past midnight and I wasn't tired at all because I thrived at night. And it was the time of the day where I felt that I could do anything... and so I stood outside his bedroom window after climbing up a bit to his balcony. There he was, a calm façade guarding his sinister inner self. I hated him.

He took a shower and I managed to climb into his room. I pushed open his bathroom door and he gave a shocked expression, begging me not to come closer. Too bad for him he was alone that night. I was holding his razor blade in my gloved hand and I didn't hesitate as I ran it deep across his neck. So deep I could hear his skin splitting apart like music to my ears.

I was in a state of blur but only one thought stayed clear in my mind, and it was her. The one I was doing this for. She wasn't happy with him, I can tell, but she was still with him and I couldn't understand why. What did he have that I didn't? Looking at my hands of bright crimson red, I wondered what to do next. I admired him for a bit, so maimed and lifeless.

I stuck my gloved hand through the opening and ripped out his throat. _Now, you can't tell anyone what happened._ I looked at the results of my night's activity in my hand and I never felt more satisfied. No, I wasn't sadistic. I just wanted to see that he could never tell her words he didn't mean. Ever. Revenge spilled that night and no tell-tale heart was left to find.

I took out my gloves after cleaning up everything as best as I can. I took my clothing and threw everything away after burning them into bits and pieces before going to the lake and discarding them. Including his bit that I removed from him. Even in the afterlife, he couldn't speak. And then it started to rain, removing all possible traces of me leaving his place. Heaven showered favors upon me.

I took a long walk to find her but I decided to call her instead. I sought shelter from the rain in the phone booth and dialed her number. It was early in the morning but I had to talk to her. And then she picked up. And I told her everything I did, taking off my disguise. From the following to the bathroom and the destroying of evidence. Then she cried. I didn't know why she did, but she did.

She was furious yet devastated, I could hear from her voice. Her mourning annoyed me, but I knew she wasn't going to turn me in. She had been dying to get rid of him and I did it for her. I told her I needed to see her. I told her we needed to talk things out. I apologized and promised her I would start life anew if she came with me. She didn't say no.

 _God. Bill, why?_ When she said my name, I felt happy. A certain euphoria I couldn't describe. When she cried his name, the jealousy in me grew. How could she still cry over him? And I realized she was just scared. I put in more coins because I wanted to hear her voice for longer. The rain pelted down hard, and it was hard to hear her but I managed.

The only thing she kept repeating was something like she couldn't believe I killed him. _Yes, my love. I did._ I couldn't stand to see you in hurt again. Bruised, cheated, used. I can love you so much better. And I told her to pack her bags and we'll leave for somewhere new far away. _I love you._ I told her that and I hung up. I had to go and find my Ashley Rose.

I only wanted her to be happy, and it wasn't going to happen unless she was with me. She was going to see that because I was going to show her. Leaving nothing but the past behind, we'll start a new life outside this damned place. He didn't know that she was the last good thing about this part of town. He'll never know.


	50. Marshmallow Kisses

Everywhere I go, people still ask me about him. What was I going to say? We broke up. It was a mutual decision. I was insecure and he had his own big life to care about and I insisted we were different. I told him I needed my own space and time just to get away from him. His glamorous international life deserved more attention than I did, and I felt really small whenever I was around the spotlight.

He always tried to assure me that I was fine, perfect, everything nice, but I didn't believe him. I was stupidly comparing myself to the girls everywhere. I had a lot of haters, but he did his best to make sure I was happy. I looked like I was, but I wasn't. I told him I didn't love him anymore and he broke down and we broke up.

Boy, was I stupid. Thinking about it tonight, I felt horrible. It had been approximately six weeks. He tried calling me everyday during the first, then once during the second. I left him without a word but he still cared. How could I do that to him? Seeing him cry because I was so abruptly leaving him tore him apart. I was a bitch. I loved him, but I stupidly gave him up because of my own personal inhibitions.

The times we spent together and those past three months on tour with him, I only saw him when we were going to bed, or in the morning when I woke up. He was so busy that I actually felt so redundant even though I was with him and I thought I was quite an unnecessary baggage, getting in the way of things. Following him to photo shoots and getting rudely snapped at by a photographer broke the last straw halfway. Overshadowed by everything, the rest was solely my choice.

I was doing my usual things, working as I waited for college to start. And when one night I was alone in my room, I started packing my stuff and I saw his red leather jacket. Why the hell was it with me? And I remembered I wore it once. It still carried his scent, and I fell in love again. I cried softly to myself.

I missed Bill. I stared at my phone for no reason and suddenly, it started to ring. My heart stopped when I saw his name. And then it hung up after just two seconds. I couldn't breathe. Yes, it was about four in the morning but why did he hang up? I picked up my phone and my hands were shaky. Should I?

I hesitated, but I pressed the dial button. It was quiet enough and so I didn't exactly press the phone to my ear. After I almost decided to give up, the phone stopped ringing. No one said anything.

"Hello?" I said suddenly. Maybe he wanted to be just friends. And then came his sweet voice. There was a bit of crunching of something in the background.

"Elle," Bill said. "I couldn't sleep."

Funny. Why would he call me to say that? "Me neither," I said. I wanted to say I missed him, but I held it back. It would be desperate if I wanted to go back to him, right? He might think it's because he's _the_ Bill bloody Kaulitz of Tokio Hotel. Nope, I was just going to shut up. I don't miss him. Ugh... lies.

"I thought so, too," he answered. Then there were a few seconds of awkward silence. And I heard a sniffle.

"Bill?" I said.

"Ja?" he said. So this was it? We're just going to both be exchanging a word each like that till daybreak?

"Do you have something to say?" I asked. That was a brave question.

Bill sighed, and I could hear another sniffle. "I was wondering if you could make some hot chocolate." There was more scuffling in the background.

I loved hot chocolate. We'd pile ours up with little marshmallows and drink it all up while sitting together watching Joe Black or The Notebook. The memories came flooding back and I didn't know what to say. My heart hurt a bit, literally, and I felt like crying. I even forgot how random he was being.

"Yes," I said. "But I don't have marshmallows." Wow. I sure sounded like I was going to make one for him right now.

"It's okay," he said. And another sniffle. Was he having cold? "Because I got some here with me." And then there came a ring of the doorbell. Shit.

I was still holding the phone to my ear and I went to the door. Opening, there was Bill. He was clad in a black leather jacket and his hair was down, relaxed. He looked a little sick, probably cold. I couldn't help but want to embrace him but I resisted the urge to.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, pretty rudely if you ask me. I missed him, and here he was. Am I sleeping and dreaming?

"I missed you, Elle," Bill said. And he gave a sigh. I could tell he looked pretty sad, and I felt guilty. "Can we talk, please?"

I couldn't believe how this was so coincidental. Was this all planned somehow by some greater being? And then I saw his gaze drop to my hand; I was still holding his red leather jacket. I hid it behind me in slight embarrassment. "I, uh..."

He gave a sudden smile. A sheepish one. Damn you, Bill. "I was wondering where that went," he said. Without another word, I gave a sigh and dropped the phone and jacket before throwing my arms around him and giving him a kiss. A long, deep one. I had been meaning to do it for the past six weeks.

I really couldn't live too long without him. I missed his smile, his laughter, his enthusiasm, his voice, and I even missed his nonsensical blabbering that gave me headaches each time he opened his mouth. I didn't want to let him go again.

We did have hot chocolate and marshmallows after all. But only after a little making up and making out, of course. I missed him so much and I was more than happy to know he did, too.


	51. By Your Side

"What?" Bill exclaimed as soon as he read the letter.

"It's all I have left," Tom frowned, trying to maintain his composure. It was the third time she was doing this. "I can't do this anymore, Bill. She's always running away from me."

"Didn't you ever ask her where she went?" Bill questioned as he sat beside Tom worriedly.

"She never wanted to talk about it, and when she came back I didn't really ask, because that was all that mattered then," Tom gave a sigh.

Bill shook his head and stroked Tom's back. "Since she said she'll come back, we'll just wait and see, okay?"

Tom covered his face, not knowing what else to say about this. He needed to get out and look for her this time.

Ember was back in her hometown the next day, and she was back in her old house. Her grandmother was there with a child in her arms, a little girl of about two-and-a-half years old.

"Did he come by?" Ember asked her grandmother. The old woman shook her head. "Okay," she said.

Ember took the child in her arms. She didn't know if she should go back to Tom. They were together for eight months, and she had disappeared thrice this time and she was afraid he'd lose hope in her. Especially if she brought little Caroline back with her to Magdeburg. They had went through a lot when Tom promised her he'd stay faithful to her, and bringing a child into the picture? It could be disastrous.

Looking dearly at the child, she let her play with her fingers, sitting outside on her front porch and just holding Caroline till the day ended. And then, a taxi stopped across the street and out came Tom who came running towards her.

"Oh, God. Ember!" he called out. And he went over and hugged her but he felt something in between them... and he saw the child. "What's... What's going on?"

Ember was shocked, her eyes wide. "How did you find me here?" she questioned, confused and shocked.

"Wait. Who's this?" Tom frowned, referring to the child.

"Tom, I can explain," she said. "I'm so sorry I kept running away from you like that. This is..." And she looked down at the silent child. "This is Caroline."

"Is she your child?" he asked, confused. She had a child? He couldn't believe it.

"She's not mine, but... But I've been taking care of her because my ex-boyfriend never came back for her. He promised he would. It's a long story, Tom, and I can't explain everything right now." And she started to tear up.

"Hush, hush," he said, wiping her tears away. "Wait, why must you be taking care of her?" he asked, confused still. And Caroline started to cry.

"Let's go inside," Ember said softly as she went in to put Caroline back in her cot.

After a while, the two were outside once more. "Tell me first, why did you come here? I told you not to come here, and how did you find me?" Ember asked.

"Ember," Tom started slowly. "It's been the third time and you know I'd definitely need to find you. You're freaking me out every time you leave, you know that?"

"I'm sorry, but I do come back," she sighed, holding a hand of his.

"Yes, but you're always running away without telling me why. Gustav saw you leaving yesterday morning and he saw you taking an interstate bus. And so I thought you'd be going back to your old home and here I am."

"Oh," Ember mumbled. "I'm so sorry," she said. "Remember Jon?"

"Yes," Tom said. "That guy who wouldn't stop bothering you until I kicked his ass?"

Ember laughed. "Yes," she said. "Caroline's his kid. With some other chick he got pregnant few years back. She left him with the child, and when he was with me, I found out about it and got pissed for a while but we took care of her like it was ours... but he got drunk so bad I just... I had to leave him. And I left her with my grandma when I met you, and Jon was supposed to take her back but he never came back for her. And now I don't want him to come back for her. I didn't want you to know about her either."

Tom was confused. "Why not?" And he held both her hands.

"Because..." Ember breathed. "Because she's totally unrelated to either of us and me wanting to take care of Caroline... Well, I'm sure you wouldn't want me to be keeping some kid, right? And Jon is a bastard."

Tom hugged his girlfriend close. "He is a big one," he mumbled. "We can keep her if you want," he said. "If that makes you happy, I'm happy."

"No," Ember said. "It's okay." She was lying, though. She really wanted Caroline. She grew attached to the girl over time.

"But she doesn't have anyone and to be quite honest, your grandma doesn't look too happy about taking care of her, does she?" Tom smirked. "We'll keep her, okay? And we'll let my mom know and we'll see what she can do about it."

Ember felt tears in her eyes. "Really?" she asked. "Tom, are you serious? We can keep Caroline?"

Tom smiled. "She's cute," he mumbled into her ear. "Just promise you won't leave me again, please?" And he pulled he closer and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I promise," she said, smiling and wiping her tears away as she breathed in his familiar scent. Just then, Caroline cried. Tom got up first and pulled Ember with him.

"Baby's crying," he smiled, leading her in. A baby would be fine. Anything for Ember to stay by his side for always.


	52. Crashed The Wedding

Gordon Street. Where the Hell was that? I used the road system map device installed in my Cadillac and pressed the name.

'Eighteen miles North-West," the machine said in a robot-like voice. That's why I hated using it.

I sped up, and I really didn't care what was going in behind me. In less than twenty minutes, I had two police cars chasing after but I didn't stop.

'Two miles West," the machine said again. And I switched it off. It annoyed me. I glanced at the time. It was five minutes to three and I was sure I was going to be late. Well, better late than never.

I stopped my car right outside the chapel decorated lovingly with pink and white flowers all over. This is not right, I told myself. And I saw that the police cars were close behind me but I stormed into the sacred place like nobody's business.

"If we do not have any objections to this holy matrimony-" And the pastor's voice got cut off when I made my big entrance.

"I object!" I shouted across to the front where the bride and groom were. "Okay, smooth move, Tom," I mumbled to myself. How cliché was that line? God.

Inevitably, I felt all eyes staring at me. I slowed down a bit as I made my way to the front, receiving all kinds of stares. My eyes only stood fixed on one person, and that was Ashley. She wasn't my bride, but she was still gorgeous.

"What is this tomfoolery?!" The groom's father frowned.

"This is Tom, _the_ fool," the groom said, miffed, crossing his arms. "Ashley, why did you tell him about our wedding? This is the third church we picked!"

"Shut up," I barked to the groom. His name was Randy, and I sure didn't like him. Not one bit. And my eyes reverted back to Ashley.

"I thought you'd never come," Ashley said, her eyes tearing up as she ignored her almost-husband entirely. She pulled me in at the same time I went forth to kiss her. Yes, I took her wedding day kiss. I felt brilliant.

"Ashley!" Randy shouted, frowning. He didn't dare to touch me, though. I could feel his fear. Nothing was going to separate me and Ashley again. Not even this freak.

"Get him out of here!" Someone groaned.

"Go away!" Another voice shouted.

I hated the voices behind me. Recalling how Ashley used to confide in me about this whole wedding thing, I woke up and realized I wanted to save her from this. She pretended to be happy, but I knew she wasn't. I found out she loved me, and I loved her too. And so we planned it to happen this way.

We wanted to embarrass Randy, and we did. I could hear Ashley's parents, and her mother was crying. In a second later came the police that were chasing after me. Shit, I thought and I pulled away from the bride.

"I love you, Ashley," I told her.

"I love you, too, Tom," she said to me, giving me a kiss again.

I turned to the crowd and waved a hand. In a loud voice as the police came walking through mock-politely, I said quickly. "Ladies and gentleman, I'm sorry I'm stealing this lovely bride away. _Not_!" Yeah, I wasn't sorry one bit. Because true love lasts forever.

Ashley grinned and I heard her giggle; she's so Goddamn sweet. I pulled her away with me, disappearing through the back as choruses of disbelief and shock filled the church. The pastor had a quirky smile on his face like he experienced this all the time. I don't know.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw the annoying men in dark blue following and shouting after. We made a round to the front again... Yes, stupid policemen... And Ashley got in and we drove away. My mom cried when she heard about this but what can I say? The ring she got was lame, and she didn't want a silly second name.

I, Tom Kaulitz, never regretted that day.


	53. Parce Que C'est Toi

You see, here's my boy. His name is Georg. He's in a busy band called Tokio Hotel but I've been seeing him for the past ten months and we've been doing great. I live in France, so you can say we see each other rarely, but when we do meet, he always tries to make it worth every second. He never gets upset at me. And yes, even when I'm having the world's worst day...

"I said go away!" I screamed at Georg. "Leave me alone!" I got up and threw my handbag across the room.

Georg followed me senselessly. "Baby, don't be angry!" he said. We communicated in English because he didn't know a lot of French and I wasn't that good in German either. Our accents were accentuated when our voices got louder. "I'll make you a sandwich, ja? Your favorite strawberries and cream sandwich," he gave a smile as he appeared right in front of me, holding me tightly by the shoulders. He leaned forward to give me a kiss but I pushed him away.

"Let go of me, Georg Listing," I said firmly, trying hard not to thrash him against the wall or something. I really hated when anyone bugged me. It's not a secret I was having PMS... really bad PMS... but I also got sabotaged by a bitch from my high school and it was the most annoying thing ever. I really wanted to stab her for accusing me of copying her work when I was innocent. She made me undergo two hours of detention and I was late for my dream job interview! "Let go or I'll hit you like I wanted to do to Audrey! I'm warning you!" I shouted, eyes wide with anger.

Georg laughed at me. Stupid boy. "If that makes you feel better," he says calmly. He's always so calm, and I wonder how he can take my stupid nonsense but that's not the point now, is it? I looked at him. There was his stupid smile again. It's the as-long-as-you're-happy smile he gave me whenever I got moody.

"Don't tease me!" I frowned, trying to contain all the anger inside. The job wouldn't take my calls now and they think I must have bailed out on them. "Georg, I'm so damn angry and I need to go on a killing spree!" I said as I hit him hard on his chest. Besides venting my anger, I was pounding hard on his killer chest. Did I ever mention how tough he was? He's my personal boxing bag.

I didn't really notice but when I looked at my boyfriend's face, he had this little smile still on as he tried his best to stand straight just so I could hit him the Hell away till I felt better. I felt tears streaming down my eyes, and I felt my cheeks burn as I thought only of that annoying Audrey Perrin when I violated my poor boyfriend. After about two minutes of tears and frustration, I slowed down and turned away to hide myself in my room.

"Jazz," Georg called out. "Hey, babe-" I banged the door shut when I saw Georg following me. I slammed it into his face and jumped on my bed. For once, I didn't care about anything. It was like every time I had my moody mood swings. I get so restless, and I never thought about Georg's feelings.

"Shit," I mumbled in French when I realized I didn't lock the door. Georg would definitely come in again. I knew he would. The next moment, there was silence. I could only hear sobbing, and they were of my own. I waited for Georg to come in, but he didn't. I was angry, pissed, mad, all you'd ever hear to describe that emotion and now my boyfriend has had enough of me. I couldn't believe it. It wasn't even his fault and I had to spoil our four short days together before he left again. I am such an idiot. A childish one.

I sat there, crying as I huddled in the corner, and I picked my phone up and called Georg. I called him twice, but he didn't pick up. Great. He's leaving me because I was a little brat. I used him to vent my frustration when I should have just gone to Audrey's house and kill her.

I took advantage of my boy... how could I? I cried harder, feeling so terrible about what I did. I started to think back; how have I really shown Georg how much I loved him? We did say I love you, but it was more than words that mattered and I realized I was the one that greatly lacked in that part. Georg overcompensated for me. That calm, understanding, gorgeous man. God, oh God. I have screwed up this time. Georg's not coming in. It was fifteen minutes past the time I came in... and he wasn't here with me. I called him another time. He didn't pick up.

And then came a knock on the door. I was so lethargic from crying I felt like sleeping so when I got up, I realized it was twenty minutes past the time when Georg supposedly left the house. I didn't answer as I was technically half asleep. Maybe it was my room mate. The door opened, I could hear it... and when I saw who it was, it was Georg. I immediately sat up, feeling my eyes well up again. "Georg," I mumbled in a sad voice as I got up.

He came towards me with a plate and a glass of orange juice. "Feeling better now?" he asked with a concerned smile, and he brought forward a serving of strawberries and cream sandwich. I was rendered speechless, feeling like there was no other word to describe how I felt. I cried softly as he put down the two items on my bed and I immediately threw him a hug. So that was where he'd been all this while; making my sandwich!

"I'm so sorry!" I cried into his chest, taking in his gorgeous scent from this French cologne I got him for his birthday. It made me positively giddy and I loved it. "I'm so sorry for being such a bitch to you. I always ruin our time together but you... you're always so patient with me! I can't believe you, Georg."

Georg held me tighter. He rubbed up and down my back soothingly and I could feel he was smiling away. "I think it's cute when you're mad... so it's impossible for me to get angry with you," he mumbled into my ears, stroking my long brown hair. "Are you feeling much better now?"

I pulled back to look at this standing pillar of everlasting support. I couldn't believe how lucky I am. "I am," I said. "You're impossible, babe. How can you stand me? I feel like shit for treating you like that," I said, frowning sadly. I was angry at myself now. How could I treat Georg this way? He deserved so much more.

"It's because I love you," he said, like as if it was the most obvious reason in the world. He smiled at me before that gorgeous smile turned into a drop dead gorgeous grin. "And that's why I can never get mad at you. I'll always let you hit me, as long as you're happy." He wiped my tears away and gave me a peck on my lips as he held me lovingly by the waist.

"You're amazing," I said. "You put up with me... and no, wait. You're beyond amazing," I smiled, blushing a bit. I was falling in love all over again. Georg looked so handsome for some reason. Or maybe he was always this way. The fact that he made me happy again, it made him look angelic.

"Only because of you," he smirked. He rubbed my waist affectionately. He sat down and pulled me down to sit on him, and he brought the sandwich up to my lips.

I took a bite and Goddamn, it was the best damn sandwich in the world right now. "Je t'aime," I said to him in a low voice, a smile playing on my lips.

"Ich liebe dich auch," Georg said in his own deep sexy voice, and I gave him the tightest hug ever. It was only instinctive that I let a few more tears roll down my cheek. Am I the world's luckiest girl or what?


	54. Better Late Than Never

_The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting_  
 _Could it be that we have been this way before?_  
 _I know you don't think that I am trying_  
 _I know you're wearing thin down to the core_

 _But hold your breath_  
 _Because tonight will be the night_  
 _That I will-_

I hit the mute button on my phone. This was my song of the moment, and it was my ringtone for when Gustav calls me. If you noticed, I stopped John Vesely from singing 'fall for you over again' because... Well, I didn't feel like I was in love. Yes. I sound pathetic, don't I?

Good. He's stopped calling. I went to my kitchen and sat on the counter, slowly eating the strawberry shortcake my friends bought me a day back. I still had two slices in the fridge and they were the best tasting thing in the world.

 _The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting_  
 _Could it be that we have been this way before?_  
 _I know you don't think that I am-_

I hit the mute again. Maybe I should totally turn my phone off this time. Gustav is annoying me. What am I doing, you ask? Let's see. I've just turned a year older one day ago, and I celebrated it with my friends since I was in college and away from my family. My boyfriend, surprisingly, never called me once. Not a card, not a teddy bear, not even a text message. I waited the whole day and nothing from him.

Yes. I am very disappointed. And very sad, but I'm over it. I think.

 _The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting_  
 _Could it be that we have been this way before?_  
 _I know you don't think that I am trying_  
 _I know you're-_

With a sigh, I picked up the phone. It's time to give John Vesely a break. It's a Saturday morning, anyway. And it's because I'm sick of the song as well. I pressed the phone lightly against my ear and made no sound. The other side was very quiet. Weird.

"Hallo?" Gustav said in a soft voice. "Lea?"

I didn't feel like talking to him. I didn't forget his birthday but he forgot mine. Is it right for me to get pissy and reject calls from him all morning? Well, he only started calling me this morning. My birthday was the day before. Ugh.

"I know you're there, Lea," Gustav continued. And then he gave a sigh. "Look, I'm so sorry."

"Hi, Gustav," I said. Sarcastic. "How's tour? Are the girls getting prettier every day?" Yes, I teased him a lot about all the girls he'd meet. That's just me.

I heard Gustav give another sigh. "I know you hate me a lot right now," he said. "I just want to say I'm so sorry. I should have said this a day ago, but Happy Birthday, Lea."

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. I was left wordless. Should I relent? "Thanks," I said. There was a moment of silence so I decided we had nothing else to talk about. I decided to hang up. "So I'll talk to you later then-"

"No!" Gustav said suddenly. "Don't. Don't hang up the phone, please?"

"It's not cheap, Gustav," I said. The phone calls. We were miles away in a different country and stuff.

"But it's not expensive either- I mean, the thing is I'm sorry. It's my fault. Time flies, and tour goes on every day for me. I missed the alarm on my phone for your birthday so I must have-"

" _Your phone_ remembers _my birthday_ for _you_?" I asked, surprised. Sure, I was bewildered. I was pretty bummed out today. "Oh. Never mind-"

"No, Lea!" Gustav continued persistently. "It's just that I hardly have time to even look at my phone. We're always on the move, and I'm so far away from you... Okay, stupid excuse. There's nothing good to defend myself on this, so please forgive me?"

I let out a soft groan. I wanted to, but another part of me was really irked by the fact he actually forgot my birthday. How long have we been together? Almost a year now, and I'm sure he was going to forget our anniversary. "I forgive you," I said. "That's all."

"That's all?" Gustav questioned. "Oh, Lea. Please don't do this to me. I swear I won't do this again the next year, okay?"

"If we have a next year," I said bluntly. Then I heard Gustav give a long sigh. Well, better late than never, right? I have to stop being so mean about this.

"I love you," he said. "I miss you and I love you. Don't hate me, please? I'll make it up to you, I swear."

I could hear the sincerity in his voice, and he wins me over every time. Sweet killer accent that no one would guess where he hails from, and I could only imagine his face right now. Pure guilt, possibly. White wifebeater, dark brown shorts, drumsticks in his hands- No, he would be holding the phone.

"Lea?" Gustav said again.

"I miss you, too," I said. And then I heard someone shouting in the background. It sounded like Tom. And then Gustav cursed under his breath.

"Shit, I've got to go now," he said, sounding very frustrated. There he goes again. "I'm so sorry, babe. I'll call you back again, okay? Happy Birthday and I love you. Bye." And then he hung up.

I mumbled an 'I love you, too' into the phone, to no one. And I heard the beeping of the other line which went dead. And I hung up with a small sigh.

The next morning when I woke up, I was greeted by a strong flowery scent and it drove me nuts. I stepped outside and was overwhelmed when I saw a whole corridor of red roses outside my college dorm. "Oh my God," I muttered under my breath.

Everyone who passed by was staring at me, and a lot joked about how I was going to be setting up a flower stall sometime soon. There was a card that was slipped in between a bunch near my door and I picked it up. There was a digital printout of a picture Gustav and I took with his phone. Only he had that picture, and I loved it. I wished he was here in person.

 **Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, mein Liebe!**  
 **More when I come home, I promise.**

 _Happy Birthday, my love._ Jeez. Now I really wish he was here with me right now.


	55. Make A Dash

Gustav stared at me for a second before he rubbed his face and shook his head. It was like that many times before and I tried to tell him I couldn't go out but he wouldn't listen to me. I just didn't want him to see how I looked like. I looked disastrous.

"Meet me here at seven tonight," Gustav said. I looked at him like he was nuts. And he pulled me into a hug. "We're running away."

"What?" I said. "This is crazy, Gustav."

"Ja, but I don't care!" he said to me firmly. "This can't go on!." He let go and looked into my eyes and I felt it penetrating me. His brown eyes were so full of life. "You can't continue lying to me, Ashlee."

"I'm not lying to you," I said. I lied. There were things I hid from him. I tried not to stare into his beautiful eyes.

Gustav sighed. "Your bruises... I know they are not from falling down," he said gently to me as if bringing it up would shatter me into a million pieces.

And then I thought of my drunk dad. I hated him to bits but he was still my dad. "No," I said, mumbling. "He's not what you think-"

"I'll kill him if you don't come with me," he said.

I was shocked. "You can't do that!"

"You'll die if you stay here any longer so it's either he goes or you go," Gustav tried to compromise. He was using reverse psychology, this smart ass.

I was almost speechless. "I will, but just-"

"Good. Get all your CDs and posters, and all your money," he said. "You're coming with me."

We were just two hopeless people in love, but I had way more problems than Gustav did and I was afraid I would be a burden to him instead.

"But it's not easy. We won't have anymore money left when we-"

"Ja. I'll work!" Gustav offered. "Day and night, and all we need is each other. Move to California or back to Germany. Anywhere in the world."

I sighed. He was sweet, but I didn't know if it was something I should do. I met him eight months back and he was this German immigrant who knew nothing much about me or New Jersey but now, it's like he knows everything better than me. Should I be thankful?

"My dad's the only family left," I said to him, holding him close as I rested my cheek on his chest. He was my pillar of strength at times like this.

Gustav stroked my cheek which were lightly bruised purple and I winced. "Then we'll make a new one," he said. "I'm sure that it will be a better family than what you had."

I looked at him and smiled. Was that an indirect proposal? I didn't want to think about it as I cried softly into his chest, hugging him tight.

"Have I ever told you ich liebe dich?" he said suddenly.

"Did you just call me a dick?" I frowned, looking at him. It sure sounded like one.

Gustav grinned and shook his head. "It means 'I love you' in German," he smiled. I loved how he had a very small German accent and you almost couldn't tell he had one. He's such a linguist. Thank God he learned English before or we would've been lost in translation for real.

"Oh," I blushed. "Sounded really dicky to me." And Gustav chuckled. We stood there by the empty park.

"So, seven at night. Everything you want, just throw it in your bag," he told me.

And so it was seven at night. I managed to escape before my dad got home from his drunken stupor and I made my way to rendezvous with my German rescuer.

There he was with a bag on his back. He had a cap on and he turned to see me when my footsteps got a little louder. "Gustav!" I exclaimed, feeling extremely happy.

He turned to look at me and smiled. "Ashlee," he said before someone from behind shouted my name as well, but louder and in a more harsh voice.

"Dad?" I said, shocked.

"Run!" Gustav said. He grabbed my hand and started running. I turned over my shoulder to look but there was a loud screech and a bang and the next thing I knew I saw my father lifeless on the floor right next to me in a pool of leaking blood.


	56. Boys Will Be Boys

I sat down with my dad at the sushi bar, and we were right beside the food conveyor belt because I loved picking the sushi right off the track.

"Get whatever you want, Lea," daddy said. I smiled and nodded. It was our monthly father-daughter outing and we were having our dinner. Earlier, we were at the arcade and we visited Fisherman's Wharf. Yeah, my dad is super cool. We do a lot of cool things together.

"Ooh, salmon rolls!" I licked my lips. I reached for the wasabi on the belt but it passed me, and so I decided to reach for the one across that was going the opposite way. Weirdly enough, I grabbed it at the same time someone did. "Oops, sorry," I mumbled and let it go.

The guy stared at me for a while and gave a really embarrassed grin that even showed wrinkles at the corner of his eyes. "It's okay," he said. I blushed slightly. Weird to be blushing in front of my dad at a total stranger. "Oh, you," he said suddenly. My dad was oblivious, ordering a la carte from a menu and talking to a waiter. I was surprised. Did that cute guy know me?

"Oh, me?" I mimicked him slightly. We were talking over the counter and another wasabi thing just passed by me. He looked like he forgot all about it already.

"You. I saw you at Fisherman's Wharf. You dropped the thing into the water?" he reminded me. "You were looking at the seals-"

"Oh," I droned before laughing. I was actually embarrassed. Plus, he had a really strong European accent. The thing was I was so excited about this one huge seal that I was flailing away over the edge and ended up dropping my Fisherman's Wharf brochure in and people stared at me. I think it dropped on a swimming seal. "Well, um. The brochure, huh. I know. Litter. But, whatever." I gave a little laugh and took the wasabi thing, took a bit out and put it on my plate and passed it to the guy.

"Thanks," he said. This guy had shoulder length hair, and he tied it up in a sexy little ponytail. And my dad looked back at me, hearing the guy say thanks.

"What?" my dad asked, confused.

"Nothing," I grinned.

"I ordered your favorite green noodles, and green tea for us," he said.

"Yay!" I smiled big at my old man. Once in a while, I would glance over at that guy. He was a few years older than me, and he was dining alone. Weird, I thought. I couldn't help but glance at the green wasabi that passed me by every now and then. I just was obsessed with the color green.

Our food arrived and dad starting slurping away on his noodles and tempura. I noticed that guy turn around again, and he glanced at me. I felt my cheeks heat up as I caught his gaze. He gave a little shy smile and turned back. I grinned to myself crazy and good old dad noticed. "What's up?" he said, biting some California roll.

"Nothing," I smiled to myself and drank the sauce of my cold cha soba noodles. I reminded myself to stay normal. Being with my dad was cool enough, because hey, my dad is cool!

A few minutes passed and I noticed the ponytail guy glancing at me again. I gave him a little smile and he gave a gorgeous grin back. I was sure he could hear everything that was going on in between me and my dad. We talked about mom, to our family, to birthdays, school, seals, games, sports, politics and boyfriends and it was interesting.

Cute ponytail guy finished his food, but he wasn't moving yet and so I admired him some more. He couldn't see me, anyway, seeing that he was a little more in front of me. I wanted to talk to him, maybe exchange some more wasabi, but dad was here and I was a little awkward about chatting that guy up. The next thing I knew, the guy looked back at me and smiled.

"Hey," he said. He looked a bit awkward, as was I.

"Hi," I smiled back. Dad looked up and stared at him and grinned.

"Hello there, son," he said. Aw, my dad!

"Hallo," the guy said. I grinned. And he looked back at me. "Um, here's the brochure just in case you wanted it. It's got really cool information in it."

He passed me the Fisherman's Wharf brochure. I thanked him and took it. My dad smiled. "Oh, that's very nice of you," he said. He was a very oblivious old man.

"Thanks," I smiled and I put it beside me.

"Bye," he said. I grinned at him and he left the table and left the restaurant. I was pretty disheartened. What a nice thing to give me a brochure, but I didn't even get his name. Damn it.

My dad was staring at me. He smirked and took the brochure from my side and opened it to read. I observed for a while and my dad gave a soft laugh before passing it to me. There was a message handwritten in pen at an empty part of the brochure.

'Hi Lea. Heard your father call you that. Is it spelled correct? I hope yes. I like Fisherman's Wharf, and you and your father is very cool. I heard you talk. Sorry if I am rude. I will be here tomorrow at 12pm with my friends to see seals. Hope to see you too? From Georg.'

My face flushed by the time the message ended. I looked at my dad. "How did you know?" I asked.

"Boys," my dad laughed. "We're all the same. And he said 'cool information'. How cool is it to be meeting him tomorrow?" he teased me. I stuck my tongue out at him playfully.

I immediately smirked, half-blushing. And I thought my dad was oblivious. "It is cool, dad," I smiled and kept the brochure.

"He looks pretty old," my dad said and laughed, and I immediated gasped. He's cute, anyway.

"Looks are deceiving, dad. I look like I'm 20, don't you think? Plus, you and mom have a huge age gap too!" What excuses. Hah. Georg, Georg, Georg.


	57. You And I Collide

Georg's heart was heavy and low, and he held his face in his hands as Karissa held him close.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered into his ears. She was there for him every night his grandmother was in the hospital fighting for her last few chances of survival just because he was her best friend.

And now, Georg's grandmother had passed on. Three days after her burial, Georg still felt the pain. His teddy bear was a gift from his grandma, and he still held it close to him and brought it wherever it went. Only very few people knew about the bear's importance, but Karissa was one of them. She put the teddy bear in between them.

"It's okay," Karissa soothed her best friend. "Shh." And she pulled him into a warm hug on his couch.

Little did Georg know, Karissa had liked him for a long while but she didn't want to pursue such things at such a time.

"I feel so- so guilty, Kari," he said, mumbling incoherently through sobs and tears. "I feel so regretful. I wasn't- I wasn't there for her as much as she- she was for me."

Georg sighed and wrapped his arms around Karissa. She was the only female confidante he had around his age, and knowing her almost all his life helped a lot when it came to such personal thngs.

Karissa nodded and frowned sadly. "She misses you, too, I know," she said. "She was a great woman, Georg. She'll understand why you're gone so much. I know it's not like you would ever want to be so far from her all the time."

Georg sniffled and looked up at her. It was like everything she said made sense. No, wait. Everything she ever said made sense. Not even his mother could make him feel better.

To him, Karissa was like the girl who was there through anything. Only Karissa knew he stole from shops, only Karissa knew he skipped school, only Karissa knew he cheated on his ex-girlfriend, only Karissa knew the reason he didn't like talking about his father. Only Karissa knew his grandmother that well. And they were always at his grandmother's when they were younger, eating his grandmother's awesome-

"I miss her cookies," Karissa said suddenly. And Georg hitched a breath, rubbing his eyes and looking up at his best friend.

"How do you know me so well?" he asked her. Karissa looked confused, and there was a tinge of blush on her cheeks. "It's like... You know exactly how I feel and what I think, and you're always there when I need you."

"What?" Karissa blushed, mumbling. She felt this awkwardness overwhelm her as Georg stared back with those pale green eyes that melted her each time. She tried not to be so nervous, and she pushed his hair behind his ears gently.

Georg swallowed and wiped his eyes and sat up, looking at Karissa. "Why did I ever miss out on you?" he muttered under his breath.

"Georg..." Karissa bit her lip. She didn't know what was happening because of the sudden change of subjects.

The next thing she knew, he leaned in and gave her the softest and most unexpected kiss ever. Then he pulled back when they almost started kissing for real. He pulled back because he realized he was being rude.

"I'm... I'm sorry," he said, and he took a deep but rugged breath in. He sighed and looked away. He didn't think to Karissa, it could go beyond a platonic relationship.

"I'll always be there for you," Karissa told him. "Can I ask you something?"

Georg looked at her, touched by her words. She held his hands and looked at him and he nodded.

"Can you kiss me again?" she asked. Because it felt so right.

Georg was surprised, but he gave it to her nonetheless. His hands went to cup her face lovingly, and she brought hers to his own, and their lips collided in perfect synchronization. Their kiss was perfected the second time round, and it was a special one they shared.

He couldn't believe it would take so long to realize the reason why he was a lonely single man. It was because all he was ever waiting for was right outside his door but he just didn't notice it.


	58. Every Ounce Of Confidence

Today was the last time Gustav was going to see this one girl. He had crossed her a thousand times the past two days. Her name was Alisha, and she was the backstage crew for the MTV TRL show.

Alisha was the one bringing them around everywhere for the three days there were on it and this was their last day at the studio. Gustav knew he had only once chance to tell her how he felt.

"You're sure you don't need my help?" Tom asked.

"No," Gustav said firmly.

"Oh, you. You act so tough in front of us but you practically melt when you're in front of her!" Bill teased his band mate. Gustav gave a little grunt of ignorance before a knock on the door came.

"I bet it's her," Georg smirked as Tom did.

"You guys better shut the heck up!" Gustav warned as he quickly withdrew again, becoming the quiet one in the band when Alisha entered the room.

She had this wide smile on and her eyes twinkled, and Gustav could only admire her in silence. He was really sure she wasn't older than him. Even if she was, it didn't matter.

"You guys are on in five!" she piped before giving the 'okay' sign.

"We're good," Tom smiled sheepishly at her. Gustav noticed and frowned. "Oh, except Grumpy here. Maybe you could cheer him up?"

"Yeah!" Bill agreed enthusiastically. "It sucks when we have to do a live show with a depressed band mate, wouldn't it?"

"I'm not depressed!" Gustav protested. He couldn't believe his friends were doing this. He was positive his cheeks were slightly pink by now and he turned away quickly.

"That's what they always say. We're trying to help you," Tom said through clenched teeth, and he gave Gustav a wink.

Alisha smiled. "I can help," she giggled and came in. "People here always get grumpy somehow. I guess it's stressful." She held her clipboard in one hand and went to Gustav. "Hi, Gustav," she said.

Gustav heard her call his name for the first time and he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand. Georg kicked his band mate. "Hey, you're being rude, Grumpy!" And he laughed.

Gustav sighed and turned to face Alisha. She was just a step away from him and he would love to just sweep her off her feet. Once again, he was lost in the clutter in his own head. This was definitely not the right time. Everyone was staring at him.

"Um, hello," he said, giving a little smile.

"I've noticed, you never smile," Alisha gave a little pout. She noticed, and that was what Gustav realized. It sent him straight to cloud nine.

"He's depressed," Tom joked. Gustav shot him a look and Georg took care of it by grabbing Tom in a headlock.

Alisha laughed as she tucked her hair behind her ears. Gustav would have loved to do just that. "Well, you're a cool band and you should smile. It'll look perfect if you all smile. I'm sure you'll look much better on camera!"

"Okay," Gustav said, managing a little smile for her and just then, her walkie talkie sounded. They were on in one minute.

Alisha led them outside and Tokio Hotel were on for the third and last time that week on TRL. Alisha noticed Gustav was smiling more than he was the past two days, and she realized he had a very nice smile. Heartwarming, to say the least.

As soon as they were done, she led them back in to their dressing room. Tom managed to persuade her to stay for a few minutes.

"You look young," he told her. He tried talking to Alisha for Gustav since Gustav was pretty much in 'grumpy' mode again.

"I'm in college, and I'm doing my internship. I finish next week," she smiled. And she noticed Gustav sitting beside Georg quietly, looking at her.

"So you live in New York, right?" Bill asked. "You'll be here all week? Because we'd be here all week! And so will Gustav!"

Alisha was smart, and she kind of figured it out. "Um, okay?" she laughed, awkward.

Gustav blushed and looked at Alisha sorrily. "My friends are dorks," he said to her. "Sorry."

"It's okay-" And Alisha's walkie talkie sounded again. She was asked to go out. "Whoops, got to go!" she grinned and nodded small at Gustav before leaving.

"Bye," Gustav said and the others all followed the same. And when she closed the door, he sighed.

"What are you waiting for?" Bill exclaimed. It seriously shocked Gustav.

"What?" Gustav frowned.

"Go after her!" Bill continued.

"Kidnap her and bring her to the bathroom or something. Or some empty dressing room," Tom suggested. Gustav rolled his eyes. "No, really!"

"True," Georg laughed. "Because we're supposed to leave right now. David's calling me." And Georg answered his phone.

"You'll never see her again, you idiot," Bill smacked Gustav's firm shoulder.

"Quick, quick. Go!" Tom shoved him.

Gustav felt rushed and panicked. "What? No! I can't do that-"

"Yes, you can! She's pretty, and you're grumpy. Like Snow White and that random dwarf. It fits!" Bill giggled and pushed Gustav out of the room, locking him out. Gustav raised an eyebrow and sighed.

A few people were rushing past him but he managed to make his way to where he saw Alisha was at. She was standing outside the photo booth bulletin and putting up Tokio Hotel's pictures.

"Hey," Alisha said when she saw Gustav coming towards her. She gave a little smile.

"Hey," Gustav said back. "Um, are you busy?"

Alisha looked around. "Almost done," she smiled. "Are you being left out because you're all grumpy?" she teased.

Gustav gave a half-smile. "Nah," he said. "They- Um, well. Maybe I am."

"Then let's do something fun," she smiled. She took his hand and pulled him into the empty photo booth when no one was looking. She pushed him to sit down before lightly sitting on his thighs.

"Four shots. Let's see. We'll do grumpy, happy, sad and... the last one will be..."

"Let's decide impromptu," he suggested. Alisha grinned.

Gustav gave a little laugh and Alisha caught his grin. "You have a gorgeous smile, Gustav!" she commented, smiling surprisedly. She pushed the button.

Gustav blushed. He's heard that many times before but coming from her, it was definitely special. "You're gorgeous, too," he said shyly. And the first shot was captured.

Alisha blushed and grinned. "Oh, no! Three shots left!" She did a grumpy face with Gustav.

Then it flashed and they broke into a small laughter. Next, they did a smiley shot.

The last shot, they had only two seconds to decide. Gustav swallowed. He had only one pose in mind. And he decided to confess. "I like you, Alisha. Do you-"

As if she read his mind, Alisha pressed her lips against Gustav's own pair and both of their faces flushed hard as the fourth and final flashed lighted up the little booth.

Bill, Tom and Georg came walking by the photo booth machine and saw Gustav's and Alisha's legs from below the curtain. Out dropped the strip of photos and Bill picked it up. His eyes widened and he waved it excitedly at his twin and friend.

"Someone got lucky!" he exclaimed, pulling the curtain wide open to catch Alisha and Gustav kissing passionately.


	59. Bulletproof Loneliness At Best

It has been about four months and I miss him like crazy, but who do I tell? No one. I was stuck having cooking classes at school and at home while going for dance classes on weekends. Despite my schedule being so full, I could only think of one person - Georg.

Stupid America. Why do the Americans always get the best of everything? I miss Georg so bad. I miss everything from his hair to his scent, his muscles to his voice, our kisses and quarrels. Everything.

I had finally finished my last activity for the day before I was headed home, and I decided to call Georg since we haven't spoken in exactly a week. Sadly, he didn't pick up. And then it hit me. He had mentioned he had a line of interviews and photo shoots that week. Forget it.

I was walking home myself thinking about everything that happened to us before. I thought about the I love yous, and how many times we have said it within the last four months. I could count it - two. Two times when I could feel he really meant it when he said it. The rest were just 'Okay, love you. Bye.'

Then I got a text message from a classmate. He was this guy who had a crush on me, and he isn't convinced that I have a boyfriend. I told him that Georg is a traveler, so he was rarely with me but he doesn't buy it.

The thing is I think I'm starting to like how Sebastien is treating me. He's like the Georg who's always here, plus he's gorgeous, too. Nope, he doesn't have a body as amazing as my boy but Sebastien treats me well and the best part is he cooks and is really a guy I would consider if I never met Georg.

Georg is hardly here with me, and I felt the desperate longing of someone I could actually be with everyday. Physically. Not just mentally. It wasn't enough. Tokio Hotel was having fun in America and God knows how Tom may have influenced my boyfriend. I didn't want to think about it because I trust Georg with all my heart but I'm really thinking if this can go on. It's almost like I don't have a boyfriend at all.

Sebastien's message asks if I was free to hang out the next day, and I agreed. Why wouldn't I? I had all the time without Georg to meet new boys as long as I didn't cheat on him. But still, I really want a lover who is here when I need him. I mean, Georg doesn't reply my messages or call me back sometimes even days later. How can a girl live with that?

Five months is too much. Georg hasn't even confirmed the date he'd be coming to see me. I hate it. I decided to let my heart be free for a while.

The next few days, I went out wit Sebastien when I was free and Georg called me in the middle of dinner with Sebastien.

"Jazz!" his voice piped up.

"Hi," I smiled into the phone, almost tearing. "Georg, I miss you."

"I miss you, too, Jazzy baby," he said as I embraced my nickname he gave me. "I'm so sorry. So many shows lately and Mexico was insane! You should have seen the number of girls here- I mean, the fans!"

Girls. Of course. Majority were girls, anyway. I don't blame you for saying that, my dear. "Oh," I smiled. "Cool." I looked at Sebastien and told him it was Georg. Sebastien rolled his eyes and shook his head before giving a little smirk. He nodded and I continued. "When are you coming home?"

I heard Georg's sigh. Of relief. "That's what I'm going to tell you. Mexico's our last show here and we're coming back tomorrow morning!"

"That's good," I said almost monotonously. I guess I was losing it after hanging too much with Sebastien.

Georg's voice got worried. "You don't sound too excited," he said. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's good," I said, lying a bit. "Georg, I miss you. It's been five months and... Maybe we should... Oh, just come back soon. I'll talk when we get back, okay?"

"Wait, Jazz," Georg said. "Are you mad at me? I'm so sorry."

"I got to go now," I said.

Sebastien was talking to me about stopping the phone call because the food was turning call. I heard Georg talking halfway, asking about who that guy was before I ended the call.

The next day, I was having dance classes when Georg apparently landed. He called to say that he was coming straight to meet me before going for dinner so I patiently awaited for him after a quick shower. I waited outside the studio and a taxi stopped and out popped Georg.

"Oh my God," I mumbled with a small smile which eventually grew as Georg's smile widened when he came approaching me.

"Hi, baby," he grinned as I jumped on him, my legs wrapped around his waist and I smothered him with the sloppiest welcome kiss. I honestly never felt more complete in my life, and then it dawned on me how horrible I was the past week for even considering breaking up with him.

"I fucking miss you, love you, miss you, love you," I gushed. He laughed before he pulled me into a kiss again as he supported me against the wall. His arms were pressed against my waist and damn those muscles!

No way José I was going to tell him I ever wanted to bring the topic of 'going our own way' up to him. This was too perfect a moment to be ruined. Our kiss was perfect. Too perfect to be ever broken. How could I even seriously consider that? If I'm lonely, then fine. Georg will always come back one day. He will.

And then we parted for air, our noses pressed against each other's. "I'm sorry for being so far away for so long," Georg pouted as he rubbed my back affectionately. God, those hands. I missed their touch.

"Five months is too much!" I pouted back and kissed his cute little pout, running my hand through his long, smooth hair. The hair, the scent. It was all coming back to me.

"I know," he said. And Then he looked at me closely. "Were you... were you going out with other guys?" he asked suddenly.

I felt this guilt in me. I did go out with Sebastien, but it was only since a week ago. And we merely held hands, nothing more. It wasn't official. "No," I said, technically not lying. "He's just a friend."

"Is it because I'm not there for you?" Georg asked, playing with my hair as he put me down. He looked very sad, and I felt horrible.

"Georg," I sighed, trying not to cry. "The truth is..." And I sniffled and took a deep breath. "The truth is I thought of letting us go, because it's really difficult for me. So many things happened and without you by my side, it's not right. I need someone to be there, always."

Before I could continue, Georg kissed my nose and looked at me lovingly. "I'll do anything for you to take those words back, Jazz. Anything. Don't let us go, please?"

"I love you and I loved you all along," I said, cupping his face. "Even though you were so far away."

"Forgive me?" he said. My heart practically became a puddle of love.

"I forgive you," I said as I pulled him close.

"I love you," he whispered huskily into my ear. His voice melted me. I leaned in to answer that with another loving kiss. That, I knew, was one of the I love yous that was said like he really, really meant it.

I may not have him everyday, but I'll have him anyway.


	60. All The Things She Said

With a throbbing heart, Gustav raced down the lobby of the whitewashed walls of the hospital. Not even a thousand oceans could stop him from being by her side.

As he ran, he could feel his eyes burn, the newfound tears searing. He was going to make it, make it back to her just in time before anything happened. It had been days before that he had heard her voice telling him she loved him, and he had exchanged the exact same thing to her. They meant every single word.

Running his fingers through his sandy blond hair, he waited for the lift to reach the ground floor. The operation had started almost eight hours ago, the time he left France.

He left the tour with the other three, leaving thousands of fans disappointed. All the hatred would be spent on innocent Sarah-Jane who was lying on the operation table, uncertain of what was in front of her. All she could hope on was Gustav even in her most obscure state of mind, overcome by anesthesia.

Gustav quickly entered the lift and folded his arms, biting his lower lip in great anxiety. Beads of sweat trickled down where his short sideburns were, and with each passing second he was unnerved more. He recalled what the doctor said earlier, and he was never at ease since then.

He knew he should have been there, he should have been with her from the start. He should never have let her go through the pain alone. Where was he when he needed her?

The lift finally opened and Gustav paced urgently to the first nurse he saw. He asked for the direction to the operating room and was led to where familiar faces were. They were her family. They were all waiting for her. Her mother was swallowed by tears.

Another two hours of palpitating panic and high hopes later, the doctor came out of the operating room. Gustav stared at him in great anticipation. Everyone watched as the doctor pulled off his bloodstained gloves. The next thing Gustav remembered, he himself let a heavy tear fall down his cheek.

The cloudiness hung lowly over the blond bespectacled man as he clenched his fist. A broad hand approached the marble tombstone, his thick fingers tracing the beautifully engraved letterings that were on them. The cemetery was cold that autumn day.

Tears were brimming in his eyes, the wind blowing his face softly. His tears were threatening to fall but he quickly wiped them away before getting down one on knee before the stone.

"I miss you," Gustav said in a low voice. "And I'll always remember what you told me—to treasure what I have before it's gone." He took a deep breath and chewed on his lower lip before nodding, "I'll always remember."

He placed a bunch of gorgeous daisies of various colors in front of him, right before the tombstone. The grassy surrounding reminded him of the backyard where he used to frolic around in, except then, this tombstone never existed.

From behind the young man stepped a short young woman. After watching from behind for a while, she decided it was time that she could intervene. She placed her soft hand on his shoulder before leaning down to give him a chaste kiss on his cheek.

Gustav turned to face his newly wedded wife, Sarah-Jane. He stared intensely into her stunning gray-blue eyes with a soft smile. "She would have loved you," he said.

"I'm sure I would have loved her, too," she replied as Gustav stood up.

Sarah-Jane ran her fingers across Gustav's grandmother's name.

 _An ordinary woman with extraordinary values_

Her held her hand in his, giving her a soft kiss atop hers before letting their hands fall in between them, hands whose ring fingers bore similar wedding bands. His other pushed stray choppy black locks of hair behind her ear and he cupped her face gently, admiring every bit of her.

Gustav stared at Sarah-Jane with warm brown eyes, recalling how close she was to death when the doctor revived her twice during the heart operation ten months ago. It was only after then that he realized how easily he could lose her, so he made a choice to ask for her hand in marriage.

To him, it was a perfect beginning. He only wished his grandmother was still alive to see how happy he was, and that what she taught him, he had learned well. He treasured Sarah-Jane dearly.


	61. The One That Got Away

I don't think you even remember me. Do you?

It was last spring, when I was in your hometown. I came down from the hostel I was staying in with my best friend, and I went to the nearby hotel's cafe myself, grabbing a cup of coffee when you walked into the place.

I couldn't believe it was you.

I watched in silent awe as you plugged in the cords and started playing the guitar while your younger twin brother looked on, and I ended up hiding in a corner. I wondered why at all you were here, and I realized that the whole place was suddenly closed up, and you were playing for a video. I never noticed the place filling up with the crew members.

I was in the middle of a video shoot.

My knees buckled. I've always been a sucker with a weakness for a boy with a guitar and a drink in his hand. But there had always only been one boy, and that boy was you.

When you spoke, your words were like heaven in my hurricane. I thought everyone was watching me, watching you save my life with the song. Your words were gibberish to me, but it was music at the same time.

You were mine in the back of my mind, just for one night. Just for a while.

We just started talking when you saw me in the corner, watching you. My heart escaped me for a while, but I regained my cool. Because you were really cool. And you were really handsome up close.

I love your dreadlocks. I love your eyes. I love your lips, and that sexy piercing in the corner. Your dizzying smell was unforgettable, and your smile made me fall in love all over again.

You gave me your number, because I had no phone. And then you invited me over. Two days later, I was sitting in your Berlin apartment.

It was the second time I talked to you when I said hello, and you told me to come in. You were making cappuccino.

I said, "What kind of man makes cappuccino?"

We laughed.

We laughed until tears ran down my face.

Then we started talking. We talked about where I was from, what I did, what I was doing there. And I told you I knew you. You weren't very surprised. You only killed me more with that smirk.

Then we got a bit more personal. We talked about our love lives. I had no one, but you did. You told me she was pretty, kind and smart. I started comparing myself to her, secretly. And then, you made a move.

You're someone else's man, and that isn't the man I want to want. But you know, you keep drawing me in with those big, brown, lying eyes.

You'll always be mine, in the back of my mind.

Then, we had a night, for just a little while.

I kind of expected it, and I did enjoy it.

You had a way of saying my name, screaming my name. It was better than anything in the world, but I knew I was just one of the others.

When I woke up, I was glad it wasn't a dream when I saw you lying next to me. It was part of what I've always dreamed of. Just a really small part.

You said, "I like you, Ashlee."

I smiled, "I like you, too."

We talked a while more until your phone rang. I kept quiet while you spoke, and I assumed it was your girlfriend by the way you did.

I got up and got changed, and you hugged me from behind and kissed me, telling me you liked me a lot, saying how sorry you were that I had to go.

You said, "I had a great time."

I forced a smile, "Me, too."

Maybe you didn't like me enough to make me stay for more than one night.

Maybe it was because I had a train to catch to the next town.

Up till today, I believe you were mine somewhere in time.

I'll look for you first in my next life.


	62. The Bavarian Prince

"Done?" Georg asked.

"Ask Gustav, not me," the brown-haired man answered as he turned off his hair straightener. He went over beside the shorter blond and put it back in his bag.

Gustav raised his eyebrow. "Isn't it obvious I've been waiting since half an hour ago?" He had his arms crossed, his face plain and emotionless.

Tom came out from the bathroom, tapping his face with some water before shaking his hands dry. "Come on, ladies," he teased.

It wasn't long before the four young men exited the hotel room. They shared a taxi to the downtown club where their tour manager Benjamin suggested.

After proving they were indeed famous, they were granted access immediately pass dozens of people waiting out in the front. Bill was extremely excited and he was the first to rush to the VIP corner.

"This looks superbly amazing!" He gushed, picking up the menu and trying his best to read it from what light his chocolate brown eyes could gather.

Gustav flinched. It had been so long since he had been in a club. It was the first time he's in a club without security guards since that bad accident in his hometown, Magdeburg. The twins hardly went anywhere without one and it's pretty obvious why. This time, they decided to give their good friends a night off and have fun while the band themselves decided to try and be normal for once.

As Gustav thought back, he felt his scars itch. He ran his fingers over them and sighed as he felt a bad headache coming on. Suddenly, he didn't feel like he could take any alcohol that night as he felt his stomach lurch.

"I'm skipping this," Gustav mumbled. The others just stared at him.

"What?" Tom asked.

"I need to get out," he said. "Get a smoke and stuff. Maybe just walk around."

"You can smoke here, you know," Bill quipped. He pointed to the menu at the back. "It says so right here!"

Gustav sighed, "I don't want to smoke in here. I just need to get out. I feel sick."

Georg winced, "Don't throw up here, dude."

"Yeah," Tom stared at Gustav. "We'll call you later then. Get one of the guys to follow you."

"No, it's okay," Gustav answered, waving the others away as he stood up. "Later."

Gustav pulled his black hoodie over his white cap where he hid his scars. Within minutes, he made his way out of the place through the front and tried, for once, to act like someone normal who was just having a bad time coming out of a club. He had no worries; no stalkers, no fans, no friends to have anything to say about anything.

Swiftly, he took out a cigarette and lit it, sucking deeply. He was slightly happier when he was alone though his head still throbbed and stomach ached.

"Fucking fish and chips," he mumbled, groaning slightly as he crossed the road to get to the side where the shops were more brightly lit. Who knew, he might need to dash into one of them to use the bathroom at any given second.

It seemed like Gustav was walking for years until his stomach gave an inner kick that told him it was time. He had to let it go. Sucking deeply on what was left on his cigarette, he looked around for any diner that he could borrow for a few minutes. Without hesitation, he dashed across the road and in a split moment, there was a piercing car horn and it blasted at him so shockingly he fell back even before the car could hit him.

To Emily, it seemed that her father had actually knocked down the stranger who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "DAD!" She screamed, gripping at the seatbelt as the car came to a sudden halt.

"What in the world..?!"

Emily stared at her father. "Get out there!" She exclaimed. "Go on, dad!"

The middle-aged man rushed outside. "Are you okay, boy?"

Gustav looked up and narrowed his gaze. "I'm okay," he said. He hoped the Scottish man wouldn't bombard him with questions seeing how he wasn't the best at understanding Scottish English.

"Sorry," the Emily's father said. "Let me help you."

"No, no," Gustav shook his head and got up. "Thank you." He gave a slight smile before rubbing his arms and walking away. He was surprised his urge to use the toilet had disappeared during that moment of frenzy. As soon as he got up, it returned. He dashed into the diner and headed straight for the bathroom.

Emily watched as the stranger walked away and waited for her father to return.

"How was it?" She asked.

"He's fine," he answered. "And isn't it here you're getting off?"

"Yes," she said. "I'll call you when I'm done."

"10?"

"10's good, dad," she said. She took her bag and left the car. She entered the diner.

Gustav felt like it was forever since he was in there and the Scottish people were so nice they even offered to call the doctor but Gustav insisted he was fine.

Emily yawned and finished her cup of coffee and noticed how the diner staff kept going back to the bathroom to check on the person inside. She felt a need to use it as well but knew she could not. She decided to order another coffee and a slice of cake as she waited.

It took ages before Gustav finally left the place. He blushed slightly when he saw the kind people who offered him help.

"Sure you're okay, boy?"

"Yes, thank you very much," Gustav said in his best English. "I think I'd better buy something, no?" The others laughed.

Emily quickly got up when she saw the stranger left the bathroom. There was something familiar about him but she could not yet tell. Then as he came nearer, she saw it was the stranger her father almost knocked down just that he was only in a white cap and was carrying the black hoodie instead of wearing it. Quickly, she made her pile of books and notes neat before going to the bathroom. She thanked God under her breath it was sanitized straightaway after he left it.

The blond foreigner ordered himself a meal; tuna sandwich with extra vegetables, a chicken pie, Coke and a tiramisu he would later claim. He sat across Emily's table and as the last customer left, he felt rather lonely. He watched as out from the toilet came the girl he had spotted earlier. Then, he finally noticed her shirt. It was like something in his head went on when he saw the word Foo Fighters across it. Overall, she looked charming in her black skinny jeans and pumps. What a place to be, he thought, wearing something as cool as that.

She looked quite familiar as well, but he couldn't remember. He shrugged it off and tried to concentrate on his food but was always distracted by her flipping her hair as she tried to scribble notes down.

Emily crossed her legs and grinned to herself when she figured out the mathematics question. Her eyes looked up and came into direct contact with the stranger who was staring straight back at her. It overwhelmed her because his big brown eyes were just stunning, a suddenly narrowed gaze just observing her through those long, dark lashes that she was suddenly envious of. And best of all, through those nerdy black glasses.  
She quickly looked back down and continued writing.

Gustav laughed when he suddenly placed her correctly. "Oh, ja," he mumbled to himself before grinning.

Emily looked up again and stared at Gustav. "Excuse me?"

"You're the girl who tried to knock me down," he said.

"You mean my father," Emily said.

"I could hear you scream from outside," he remarked simply, licking the tuna off his thumb. He was thankful she spoke in short sentences or he would be confused.

Emily shrugged and gave a short smile. "Sorry," she said, "about that. I thought you were dead or something. Kind of gave me a heart attack. Now, who wouldn't be?" She laughed to herself and continued writing.

Gustav slowed down his mental process and managed to capture her words perfectly. He liked the fact that she didn't seem to recognize him. "It's good," he said. "For a moment, you scared the shit out of me." He wished his pun was good enough.

The girl raised her eyebrow. After a while, she burst into laughter.

He continued with a smile, "No, really. I felt okay until I got up. I was having a stomachache."

"Right," she said. "Sorry about it."

"It's fine," Gustav said. "You're a Foo Fighters fan so it's extra fine. No problems." He munched on his chicken pie and smiled at her. Emily could feel her face flush. She admired his foreign accent and couldn't help but inquire more.

"A Foo Fighters fan, too? Where are you from?"

Gustav drank some coke. "Germany," he said.

"Vacation?"

"Sort of."

"Working? Schooling?"

"I'm done with school," Gustav said. "It's pleasure and work together, you know?"

Emily shook her head. "Never mind," she laughed before continuing writing.

Gustav wanted to keep a conversation up with her. "Waiting for someone?"

"No," Emily said, stopping her work to face him entirely. With a soft smirk, she continued, "If we're going to talk some more, I'm keeping my homework and you're going to have to move over here."

Gustav laughed slightly and stood up, taking his thing over to Emily's as she kepy her work. They were seated across each other in a booth in the corner, Emily's favorite.

"What are you here for?" Gustav asked.

"Studying," she said, closing her bag before looking at him. "You? Just to use the bathroom? Or did you get lost before this?"

Gustav blushed, "Sorry?"

Emily smiled and she continued slowly. "Did you get lost or did you just want to use the bathroom?"

He laughed. "Oh, just the bathroom. I will find my friends later. They're at a club."

"I see," she said. "Why aren't you there?"

"Because I felt like I was dying, like in there," he gestured to the bathroom. Emily laughed softly. "What's your name?"

"Emily."

"Gustav."

"Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," she smiled back at him, mesmerized as he was by her.

For a long moment, they stared at each other until in barged a tall man who was slightly muscular. "Gustav," he said.

"Oh, shit," Gustav curse in English. Emily was befuddled.

She knew it was some sort of a bodyguard who was in uniform and had earplugs. For once, she thought Gustav might be a prince or some sort. Ridiculous, she thought.

Gustav sighed, "I thought I told them I'd be fine alone!" The conversation was in German and Emily couldn't take in a thing.

The man shrugged as he went and sat by the entrance. "Can't risk it, Mr. Schäfer."

"Who's that?" Emily asked suddenly, getting rather curious. "Is he a bodyguard or something?"

Gustav sighed and looked at Emily. "Yes," he said.

Emily's lips formed a small O. The next moment, three more entered and Emily looked out to see a black car outside full of them. She was surprised at the amount of security Gustav now had. Even the diner staff were a bit suspicious.

Gustav noted Emily's look and he turned to his personal guard. "Are you kidding me? The whole team is here?"

"Well, we might as well all hang out here," the tall guard said. "We're not one for clubs."

The blond man twitched and shook his head, feeling like everything was getting awkward.

"Sorry," Gustav said to Emily, taking a sip of his Coke. "So much for wanting to be normal for once. I can't even eat without these guys staring." It was true, his security had stepped up since the accident.

Emily stayed quiet in contemplation. He needed a lot of security, it was obvious. Too bad she understand no German.

"How come?" She asked Gustav. Her mind was running with possibilities. Was he a Bavarian prince? Some famous politician? Maybe a famous musician? The president's son? The president himself? Maybe he was someone on parole. Emily frowned. Parole? She thought. That's insane. He's a Bavarian prince, she assured herself. It was the best among all the possibilities. He looked like he could be one with a crown . . . kind of nerdy as well to add. Intellectual royalty. Emily laughed mentally. Everyone wants to meet a prince, don't they?

There was no reply for a while as Gustav tried to come up with a good answer. "I'm actually a…"

A sudden honk came from outside and when the two looked out, Emily's father was staring straight back.


	63. The Luckiest People

The funny thing alike about Erika and I is that we are both short-tempered. Our fuses are so short that we blow up easily even on the smallest things, and this time it was because for Christmas, we both had separate plans—unintentionally. We kept it a secret from each other so that it would be a surprise but just two days before Christmas Eve, we found out. And we both were so frustrated over the fact that one of us had to give in.

It was cold in Toronto, icy cold, and Erika was nowhere to be found when I came up from the basement. I moved to her apartment for the holiday, just the both of us, but who knew it would end up like that? After taking it out on my drums furiously, I took a shower and called her after as I towel-dried my black hair. She did not pick up her phone. I knew her too well and checked her closet. Indeed, her soccer jersey was gone. Even her boots were missing so she must definitely be kicking it at the field at her alma mater.

It took a while for me to think it through as I sat on the couch alone, a cup of hot coffee in hand. I had planned this for a while, to surprise Erika by bringing her to my parents' house back in Magdeburg. Even Franziska would and her fiancé be there. I had it all planned. Then who knew Erika had a similar idea just that she had invited her parents that canceled their every Christmas party to come over to Toronto to celebrate with the both of us.

Despite how much we wanted to, we could not be in both Magdeburg and Toronto at the same time on Christmas day, can we? I wanted to bring her home so bad, as bad as she wanted her parents to come over. She could not tell her parents we were going back or it would be a mess. We were both strong-headed and so we could not reach a compromise and it erupted into a cold war for about four hours now. And that was how we ended up where we are.

My thoughts were interrupted when my phone started to ring. I looked and saw that it was Franziska. I picked it up. "Hello."

"Gustav," my sister said. I could hear her voice was laced with enthusiasm. "What time is your flight again?"

"I'll touch down at 10pm," I said. "That is, if I even go."

Franziska got inquisitive. "What do you mean?"

I sighed. "Let me be honest with you," I started. "I told you this was going to be a surprise, right? So I kept it from Erika until now. I thought I could just pack and leave without problems but . . . she had the _exact same plan_."

"Oh my God," Franziska gasped. She fell silent for a while. "You mean..."

"She invited her parents over, her parents who canceled out every Christmas party they had in their neighborhood just so they could come to Toronto," I said as I leaned back onto the couch and took a deep breath, awaiting my sister's reply.

"You can't turn them away!" My sister sounded so worried. "They'd have nowhere to go!"

I couldn't be more excited. "Hmm."

"Gustav," she started. "Please don't tell me Erika's out somewhere kicking a ball in the cold while you're just sitting your ass off waiting for New Year's to come."

I frowned slightly. "What do you want me to do?"

"What you _should_ do!" She exclaimed. "Look, calling you isn't cheap but I'm still not hanging up until I'm sure this is sorted."

"And what is it I should do?"

There was a pause from her. "We need a pre-Christmas miracle."

I picked up my keys and went straight to the car and started driving to Erika's old school. She had to be there and nowhere else. Whatever season it was, she would be at the field for her almost-daily dose of adrenaline pumping. Today, I was the reason for her two hours of exercise but who was to blame, really?

It was a rather short drive down and from where I parked alone in the parking lot, I could see a petite figure running about while dribbling a ball. Her long brown hair was tied up in a messy bun and she looked like she was drowning in her winter clothing but it did not seem to bother her. I left my car and zipped up my jacket, slipping my hands in my pocket as I made my way to her.

As I got closer, Erika noticed me. But she did not stop what she was doing, acting like she did not care. I watched her for a while before realizing I need to do more than just stand there like a block of wood.

"Are you going to keep playing or are you going to look at me?" I said suddenly as a very cold gust of wind blew against my face. I shivered.

Erika ignored me and continued to kick. God, how I adored this girl but sometimes, she makes me want to jump into my soccer boots and compete with her. Wait...

I pushed my glasses up and took a deep breath before starting to jog towards her, chasing after the ball she was kicking around. I noticed there were three more around but I went for the one she was after—on purpose—of course. Erika started to get annoyed but she still would not talk to me, let alone look at me.

For a few minutes, it was a little competition between the two of us. I loved soccer and I was pretty good at it but she was even better than I remembered. Each time she shunned me and went for another ball, I went after the exact same one. I started to love to irritate her just so I could get her attention while venting my so-called anger.

"What the hell are you doing?" Erika finally exclaimed, more peeved than I expected her to be. She kicked the ball I was dribbling from her far, far away and it landed in the net. Despite that, there was not an ounce of joy in her.

"Getting your attention," I replied curtly.

"Christmas is over," she said. "Go home."

"Stop being so childish," I said, a foot on the ball she was eyeing.

Erika's brown eyes widened. "Who are you calling childish, Gustav Schäfer? Who are you calling childish? You're the one who blew up first when I told you there was no way I was canceling on my parents last minute! You're the one who made it sound like it was my fault for planning a little surprise, and you're the one who was—"

"And I'm the one who's so crazy in love with you that I just paid €9500 to fly my parents, my sister and her fiancé to Toronto just so we could have a major Christmas family reunion all because I want you to be happy and look at me instead of a stupid soccer ball." I said that all in one breath and I felt suddenly breathless. I took a deep breath and eyes her firmly, a soft frown on my forehead.

Erika gasped softly, her soft brown eyes on me. "Please don't tell me that's true," she said.

"Not including the hotel accommodation for your parents and mine and my sister at Four Seasons just because I want us to have Christmas night all for the both of us. Nothing would be too much for you, Erika."

"Gustav," Erika eyed me with tired eyes. "I told my parents already that I'm going with you. I told them how sorry I was about the bad planning. I didn't know you would—"

I just wanted to squeeze her right there and then . . . and not in a bad way. I loved her a lot, I really did, and I only knew her to well to let such another problem happen to us.

A smile appeared on my face, an emotional trait I hardly showed unless I was truly elated. "I expected that," I said. "And so I called your mother and apologized even more than you did. She told me so. They're coming down tomorrow morning and my family is arriving tomorrow night." Erika fell silent. "So?"

The amazing girl before me broke into a bigger smile than I expected originally. I felt my heart immediately warm up like a fireplace lit up by a loving, old couple on Christmas night.

"You are . . . such a miracle," Erika took a deep breath, her rosy cheeks making her shine like an angel under the stadium lights.

"Only happens to the luckiest people," I smiled down at her before pulling her close to me for a kiss. We are indeed.

My glasses fogged up when we entered the car. Erika looked at me and laughed as she wiped them clean for me gently. Her eyes sparkled as she did as she mumbled, "You have no idea how excited I am." I nodded and rubbed her thighs in empathy.

And I could just picture the two of us rushing around the kitchen on Christmas morning like busy kitchen elves, rubbing herbs and pepper all over the turkey, stirring the cream of mushroom soup, chopping the potatoes and carrots with the music of our families talking over Canadian hot chocolate and German spiced cookies in the living room by the Christmas tree all while warm, sweet-smelling, chocolaty cookies bake in the oven.


	64. Count To Ten

"Gustav!" David Jost called.

I dropped my shoulders and turned around to see my manager running after me.

"Come on," he said. And he put a hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it off. He rolled his eyes. "Give it a break, will you?"

"No, _you_ give it a break," I snapped. There. That was my awful short temper working up again. Seriously, who wouldn't flip out when you've just lost your favorite pair of glasses?

"We can get it _replaced_ , Gustav," David emphasized the 'replaced' but hey, nothing is replaced easily for me.

Then I stopped and turned around to look at him, arms crossed. He may be taller than me but I am way bigger than him. I make him look like a spaghetti noodle.

"Gustav," David frowned slightly. I was just boiling.

"What, David? What?" I said through gritted teeth. "First, my luggage got lost, then my room's heater fucked up and okay, I roomed with Georg because the other rooms on the floor was taken. And then for dinner they serve me pork chop and the replacement took nearly an hour, then I thought, 'Well okay maybe I should just chill and go for the damn photo shoot' but guess what? I lost my glasses! Great! Just fucking brilliant, David. This is my day."

"Gustav," David repeated, taking in a deep breath. He took off his cap and looked at me regrettably. "I will make sure nothing like that crops up again."

Rubbish. I was so angry I could punch a wall. I didn't notice my fist rose slightly. I was thinking of punching a wall for real when I hear a slight squeak from somewhere.

From behind David, I saw a large black shadow disappear behind the wall but only a bit was sticking out. Wait a second. It looked a hell lot like...

"Bill, get the fuck out here," I groaned. "Your damn hair fails you."

Bill started to grumble as he appeared from the corner. Then he stared at me with wide eyes. "You can't hit David!"

Right. I was only going to punch the wall.

I heard a few mumbles. "Tom, Georg, I'm not deaf."

And out came the other two. Pssh. I hate my life right now.

"Gustav," Georg started. "Don't be such a woman, please?"

"Yeah," Tom agreed. "Come on, we'll buy you drinks."

"Lots of it!" Bill quipped.

"While David goes shopping."

David looked at Tom. "What do you mean?"

"Get his glasses and a year's supply of pork-free, fish-free and strawberry-free good, what else?" Tom gave a short smile back to his manager.

David nodded. He looked at Gustav. "Okay?"

I growled slightly, displeased. I still had a whole luggage of clothing! Where the fuck did they go?! "Get out of my face!" I stormed to my room and slammed the door shut. I remembered it was Georg's room as well but he, being my best friend of all, knew better than to knock on hell's door right now. Nothing was going to please me.

I spent the rest of my time sulking. I started making a list of things that went wrong for me today and the whole of last week.

lost glasses

hotel room's heater fucked

served allergy food

allergy food took one hour to be replaced

lost glasses

photo shoot screwed (too ugly)

slept on my wrist (hurts all day)

razor burn on my crotch

lost glasses

Right, so I had one more to make it ten. Losing my glasses was just it for me. I hated when things go wrong. If anything happens to my drum set, I'm killing something.

For the next two hours, I made sure my cell phone was off. I knew there wasn't anything important on tonight. The boys made plans to hang out in some of the clubs but I sure as hell was staying in. I don't like to wear contacts right now. I need my glasses! They had to be in the photo shoot room...

 _Knock! Knock!_

I literally jumped. I gave a loud groan before shouting. "Go away!"

"You need help," a familiar voice said.

"No, I don't," I retorted. "Now go away!"

"Open up, Gustav," Dunja said. She was the band's PR and she was like our mother on tour. Sorry, 'mama' but I ain't listening to you right now. "You need someone to talk to you."

"I don't."

"You do and you need a therapist."

I frowned. "DUNJA!" I raised my voice. I could just imagine her taking a step back. "Of _all_ people, I expected _you_ to understand me and now you're saying _I_ need a _therapist_!?"

She started to pat the door slightly. "You know you scared me, well done, but I already called a therapist."

"I don't want an old woman telling me what to do!" I stood up, just meters away from the door.

There was a slight laugh. "Then get a young woman to tell you what to do."

"I don't want anyone to tell me what to do."

"My daughter's friend is a training therapist who would love to help you for free. She helped her a lot when I was gone, you know? They're best friends."

"I. Don't. Care," I argued. I was such an asshole sometimes but hey, who wouldn't be?

"This isn't just about today," Dunja said. "Or this week or this month. You've always had this short temper problem. You almost hit David today, didn't you?"

Great. News sure spreads. It was a wall, damn it!

She continued, "See? It gets worse every time. Who knows, next thing you'll attack Georg onstage with your drum sticks when a bolt drops from your cymbal."

That sounded illogical. Then, I grumbled and mustered a simple apology. "I'm sorry, okay?! Now leave me alone—"

"She's already here!" Dunja said. "Just give her a chance, give yourself a chance! It's for the best of everyone you love, Gustav. Your temper is just out of hand sometimes!"

Great.

I took a deep breath and I counted to ten as the therapist told me to. She was still behind the door with Dunja and I was on the other side, the inside.

"I can't believe I'm doing this—"

"Just do it," the therapist cut me.

"...8, 9, 10. Done. Okay?"

"Thank you," the voice said. "Now will you let me in?"

"Dunja, I'm still mad at you."

"Dunja's not here," the voice said. "It's just going to take twenty minutes."

Twenty minutes?! I would have killed her by the time.

I didn't mean that...

Slowly, I unlocked the door. "Woah," I let slip.

Right before me was a girl a few inches below me with a pretty athletic build. Even though I was without contacts or glasses, I could see she had dark brown hair and green eyes. Or are they brown? It was tied back in a messy bun like what I expected a busy therapist to look like. She looked pleasant, to say the least. The best part was that she was in a Tokio Hotel shirt. Maybe it was the worst.

She noticed I was staring at four German men on her shirt when she spoke, "To boost your ego."

"It worked until now," I replied rudely before turning away from her. I deserve a slap. Since when have I ever deteriorated to this level of scum-bag-ness? "Sit wherever."

I rubbed my eyes and plopped on my bed. I was only doing this because Dunja was being thoughtful. And because this . . . girl . . . was already here. And because I had nothing else to do for the night.

And because I think some help would really help. I don't want to grow into an asshole.

"My name is Alyson," the girl spoke. She looked young.

"You look young," I started. "Are you sure you're a therapist—"

"I get that a lot but yes, I'm in training," she continued.

"And you have an accent," I added, eyeing her peculiarly.

Alyson sat across me on a chair filled with Georg's jackets. "I was from America but here I am. I'm sorry if my German fails to meet your expectations, Mr. Gustav Schäfer."

She was totally being sarcastic. I could see she was slightly fidgety with her actions but it wasn't like it was something that cost me €1000 and hour.

"So?" I started.

"Lie on your bed and I will talk to you. Close your eyes and think about the day you met all the people you know now in your band and crew. Think about how it started, the painful struggles, the sweet victories, the scandals, the accidents, the love, fun, laughter... Just think."

I was already on my back and truth be told, I was almost dozing off when I started thinking about Durch Den Monsun as it being the one started everything we had today. The tiny rented vans to three or four personalized tour buses. The time where I begged for a signature when now girls begged for mine... Wow. Amazing.

"Mmm," I let out. I think I was smiling. I felt so accomplished.

Then I heard Alyson's voice mimicking mine. "Mmm." Then there was a bit of rustling of paper. My eyes immediately shot open and stared straight at the girl.

"Hey!"

"Close your eyes, Gustav!" Alyson quickly returned to my side. "Relax, I'm not done!"

My eyes quickly closed but I argued, "You're looking through my things!"

"Things that clearly explain to me the stress you've had as of late. Losing my glasses three times would seriously make me want to kill something. I empathize."

Those were my exact thoughts just moments ago . . . aside from the fact that I lost my glasses once. Did I write it three times?

"I only lost one pair."

"One? But you— Oh."

I sighed with a frown on my forehead. I felt a pair of soft hands run over my temple and did a soft massage.

"Will you loosen up?" Alyson sighed.

"You're supposed to ask that nicely," I said.

"Will you _please_ loosen up?"

Alyson started to ease me. I felt my face melting. She started to talk about Bill, Tom, Georg and Gustav and a hell lot about how Dunja wants for me to be better after this little therapy session. Then she went on asking me about my life. We started talking about mom, dad, my sister and my best friends. She also asked if I had a girlfriend and what I looked for in one.

"If you look hard enough, you'll find her eventually."

"It's not like I haven't tried."

"Let's be optimistic," she said. "Picture her. Long or short hair?"

"Preferrably long."

"Tall or short?"

"Preferably shorter than me."

"Lean or more to love?"

"Preferably—"

"Just picture her in your head. I know only Georg has found his true love. Take your time to think of your other. When you have her image in mind, start getting bad. Blame her for anything. You're impatient, moody and sulky. Make her feel sad, angry, hurt, all because your temper is foul."

What is this girl saying?! My temper is not foul!

"Then envision when you change. You start to be optimistic. Even when things go wrong, try and look on the bright side. 'Hey, girlfriend, I may have lost my glasses but I still got you.'"

I snickered at that. Trust her to come up with something like that. I actually like it. Then, I pictured Alyson in my head. It was unavoidable. I knew no other girl at the moment.

"Hey, girlfriend, I may have gotten pork chop and been made to wait an hour for my chicken stew but at least I'm waiting with you. And my best friends. There's a good in everything."

My eyes opened. "But I don't have a girlfriend."

Alyson looked stumped. "Well, that's why I added 'friends'."

"Right," I said, sighing and closing my eyes again. Wow, her massages were good.

"When you're happy, everyone around you is happy. When you're good, everyone around you will feel good. The endorphins are contagious. Be nice. Be optimistic. People will love you better. When something happens to you again that you don't like, remember that everything leads to something in the end. Not everything turns out bad."

But my motto is quite the opposite...

"Gustav?"

"Mmm?"

"Nothing."

For the next ten minutes, she was talking about therapy because I asked her. Then she counted to ten after talking about some fancy green pasture and beautiful flowers. And I fell asleep.

"Oi!" Someone jumped on me.

I rubbed my eyes and saw that it was Georg.

"Get off, asshole."

And then Alyson's voice resounded in my mind.

 _Be nice. Be optimistic._

Right, right. "Chill, dude. Didn't anything from last night work for you? Come on, you even woke up last today! That's record-breaking!"

I widened my eyes and looked at the clock. Usually Georg is the last to wake up— Holy hell, it's close to noon! I can't believe Alyson made me fall asleep so deeply...

"What in the name of—"

"Alyson left her number!" Georg started to flip around a strip of paper. He can be annoying.

 _Be nice. Be optimistic._

I sighed. "Can I have it back, please?"

"Ooh," Georg teased. "So nice, eh?"

"I could have punched you for it so hurry."

 _Be nice. Be optimistic._

"Please," I continued.

"My pleasure," Georg grinned. He passed me the slip of paper. I took my phone and looked at the paper at the same time. Behind it was a note.

 _Count to ten. It works for me._  
 _– Aly_

I don't know what she did but she sure got me.


End file.
